A/n: I'm unbeta'd, so there's probably some grammar mistakes I still missed. Sorry.
Later that evening, about a half hour before dawn, I fell across word of a robbery. Or, more like happened across a robbery when the wall in the alley I was in exploded suddenly. Instinctively, I crouched low to make myself a small target and covered my head as the rocks that once made a brick wall came down. I considered myself lucky when I only felt a few pebbles land on me, and looked up when the sounds of rock against ground stop. I pulled myself back into the shadows when it hit me that the explosion was caused by something, and just in time too as the men came out.
The first two to come out were lean, crouched, and holding rather nasty looking guns. They looked around before they moved forward and took guard as the others in their group came out. The next two to come out were burly, heavy set in their walk pattern, and were each holding a safe under their arms. They too looked around before walking forwards and waiting for the next pair to come out.
Only one more guy came out, and the springy air around him spoke volumes about his placement. He still held the detonator from the explosion in one hand, and had a little cocky grin on him. If I had to guess, he was the ringleader of this ragtag gang. I looked for some apparel that said Purple Dragon to see if this was the man I'd been warned of: Hun; but no, there wasn't any Purple Dragon emblem on any of them. They were just a group of guys that decided to do a robbery.
I moved closer to the two upfront. I needed to get rid of the weapons they had before I could consider any other move. Otherwise, should I jump out, I might end up shot before I killed one of them. The echoing pain in my left side reminded me of the last time I got shot, ten months ago. The fruit I earned because I tried to help a homeless guy, but instead of helping him, he pulled a gun on me. I remembered his scream as the gun was turned on him, and I'd barely made it to the hospital before bleeding out. So yeah, I wanted their guns gone before I tried anything.
"Good work guys, that was easier than I thought it would be." The ringleader praised while he tossed his gun over his shoulder carelessly and surveyed the area. He was more thorough in his scouting, and I crouched farther back into the shadows as his eyes passed over me. They moved away without any hesitance or flicker of suspicion, and I relaxed for all of a few seconds. Then I steeled myself and checked how they worked, what would be smartest of me, and the quickest way to end all of this before it could go south.
Five of them, one of me, three of them had guns, I had a sharp-toothed mask and a dagger, they were carrying important items, I was a stand alone, and all of them were bigger than me. If I moved fast enough I could get through them with minimal damage, but that was assuming none of them were quick as well. Whereas, if I duck-dodged and moved quickly, I could startle the three with guns into accidentally shooting each other trying to get me, which lowered their numbers. Again assuming they weren't well trained with their weapons. Their close quarters to each other as pairs could work well enough, though. If I went for the two with guns first, snuck behind them and pulled one into the other, it'd give enough element of surprise to either take a weapon, or cause a panic, both of which wasn't too bad an option.
With an outline of a plan, I adjusted my body to move in a crouch. Just as I was about to make my move, a sixth person came out of the rubble, and his sudden appearance stopped me. Six was way more than five in a fight, and if he was the missing pair to the leader, he could change how I approached things, if I approached the situation at all at this point.
The sixth person was much younger than the rest in his group. He was skinny, gangly in a way, and walked out with a skip in his step. His startlingly young face made me pause in my planned assault, and I looked at his young face closer, checking to see if I could perhaps not include him the murders about to happen. What I saw wasn't someone taking innocent glee out of doing something bad for the first time, but junkie adrenaline from doing something illegal.
"Hey look, guys! I grabbed a toaster!" He called out, his smile widening. I quietly snorted at his action, and looked at the leader to see some reason he brought the kid along. He looked at the kid as the others roll their eyes. He wasn't holding a weapon as far as I was aware, only the toaster he now showed in the light. I took it to mean I could continue my original plan.
"I love your work ethic, Tommy, it's an inspiration to us all." The leader tuned in, and the boy- Tommy - looked at him funny for his tone. He still followed his companions as they made to leave.
I moved to take down the two I'd initially planned to go after first, but stopped again as chains came out of the shadows across from me. The sudden chains grabbed the ankles of the men I was headed for and they dropped their guns to try and stay where they were. I followed them into the shadow with my eyes, and then looked at the four that remained. Well, I mean it took out the main danger, the guards with guns. Now I only had to worry about the leader, which I don't think would be too hard because the four that remained were stock still from the surprise of their companions' removal.
Not going to waste an opportunity when handed to me, I dove forward for the next person I chose to take out, just as groans came from the shadows and the chains appeared once more. I moved up quickly towards one of the men with a safe, who stood next to leader now, and pushed both of them down with ease in their surprise. The chains got the other heavyset man for me and dragged him into the shadows as well.
I wasted no time using my mask's teeth, digging into the bigger man's neck and pulling sideways. The sharpened edges cut through his skin easily, and with the same suddenness as his fall, he was put to the point of no return. His shout of surprise or pain never made it past a bubble in his throat, a clear point in my direction. I pulled back from the shredded skin I'd created and released the warm body of the dead guy with dark satisfaction. I turned to the leader, staring blankly at his face through the clear visor over my eyes. I tilted my head far enough his scared eyes could meet mine, and they locked on me.
"Please…" He whispered, and his eyes glanced down at the mouth of my mask. "Spare me."
"Why?" I asked. There was no reply from him, and I smiled as he sucked on his tongue. I heard him swallow, and his eyes did a half flicker seconds before his arm moved. I reached ahead of him with my left hand, grabbing his gun before he could. I held it in front of his eyes mockingly, and he swallowed again.
"You're human," He tried. "You must have something good in your heart."
I smiled behind my mask, ignoring the clank of metal coming from the shadows as they echoed farther away.
"I'm not made of the same things you are. I'm not sugar and spice, and I'm not frogs and puppy dog tails. I'm a mean form of justice just doing a duty." I answered quietly, and on the last word, I moved my hand down to grab my dagger for this kill.
"Please!" He shouted. He ducked his head towards me to retain eye contact. I opened my mouth to stall and answer, because it wasn't like I got much human contact, but a gunshot rang out, and it wasn't from the one I held.
Pain shot down my right forearm from where the bullet hit its mark. I turned abruptly from the leader and faced the direction the shot came from. Tommy, in all his shakiness, held his gun in the air and pointed it at me. I bite my lip as a stared down the barrel and into his eyes, and willed myself not to shout in pain. Instead, I faced the leader again. He looked up at me the same time I looked down at him, and he saw what was going to happen.
He moved to get away, but I reached forward with the gun in hand to pull him in as I drove the dagger upwards. I shoved the dagger through the left side of his stomach, hopefully far enough to catch the artery there, and pulled him in close as I spun us around so Tommy's next shot hit him. The leader's sound of fear stopped in his throat as the bullet Tommy shot off hit his head, and I released the leader to raise my hand and point the gun at Tommy. My hand jerked back as I fired and went numb for a second from the recoil.
The bullet got Tommy clear through his neck, and I heard it hit the wall behind him on its exit. His eyes widened, and he made the motions to swallow. He found he couldn't, and his eyes glazed over with tears. He dropped his gun, and the happy, adrenaline look disappeared from his face. In its place was pain. I looked away as he dropped to the ground, just as the blood started to pour from his throat and mouth.
I pushed the leader off of me, my hurt arm forgotten for the moment. I kept the gun in my good hand as I brushed my front side carefully for any other damage, cautious of my surroundings. There were still three men left, as well as whatever caused those chains to appear. I wasn't in the clear yet.
I glanced around slowly, listening as well as looking before I dropped my shoulders. Good, no one here was a danger, and the three men taken by the chains were tied up in the dark from what I could hear. I cradled my hurt arm to my chest as I pointed the gun at the shadows. I listened for their rattling and fired where I heard it. There were grunts per person I hit before all went silent. I stood still for several more seconds before deciding the coast was clear and sighed as I dropped the gun. It clanged sharply against the ground, and the blood it fell in hopefully removed it of fingerprints. No one will know who I am, only that I came, killed, and left. I looked at the three I'd killed openly and that had light on them, and I closed in on Tommy once more.
Innocence gone, I knew that if I wasn't already going to whatever afterlife considered a hell, I would be going now. I killed a kid. Granted he was older than me and tried to kill me first, but I tried not to kill someone who had a long future ahead of them. Besides, he was trying to protect someone, his leader.
Well, it was too late to change it now. Besides, I had a different concern. I was hurt, and dawn was coming. I needed to get hidden and take care of my arm.
I bent down to get some of the leader's blood on my fingers and then turned to the closest wall to color it with my signature. Once done, I shook my hand of any blood as I turned in circles to see the easiest way up without requiring further use of my right arm. There were no fire escapes or wall ladders in the alley. To my surprise, there was a chain dangling down like a rope to the top of the bank building though. I looked around, even looked up, but there wasn't anyone else there. So where did the chain come from?
I looked back down at the would-be robbers, and then back at the chain. I mean, unless whoever threw those chains from before happened to leave one dangling- which was entirely plausible because they'd tied up three people with said chains but also unlikely because that left a piece of evidence at the crime scene, then the rope chain in front of me could have been how the robbers planned to get out. It wasn't like they could walk out of the alley, there were people outside, and the explosion had to of drawn some attention.
I walked over to the chain as slowly and as quietly as I could, stretching my sense of hearing out as far as I could for backup assurance. I stared at the thick metal links for a few seconds before I grabbed the chain. I pulled it a good few times, testing its endurance and how stuck it was to whatever was at the top, and then let go and waited for as long as I dared in the yawning light to see if it move. It didn't move beyond a sway from when I'd touched it, and I decided to hell with it. I wrapped my hands tightly around the chain and lifted my body up just a little to see how the pressure would handle on my arm. I let go once more and reached past my mask into my hood, where I pulled the hairband out of my hair. I stretched the band gently, testing its capabilities before I set to wrapping it over my sleeve, two inches above the wound, until it was tight enough to stop the bleeding. I wrapped my hands around the chain once more, and began the painful five-minute climb up the side of the building.
Perhaps it was my adrenaline, or the pain in my arm distracted me, but sooner than I imagined possible I was setting my feet on the roof. I stood up straight once I was safely over the edge and tested my balance now that I was on solid ground before I turned around and used my good hand to pull up the chain. It was as I was pulling it up I noticed the chain was shorter than when I first started the climb, and I slowed down as a third option appeared in my head.
"Who are ya?" A rough, Brooklyn-accented voice said from behind me. I whirled around at the sound and dropped the chain from surprise. It fell to the ground with a menacing clank, and I flinched from behind my mask. A wide figure, crouched low to the ground, faced me from the shadow of the bank's roof entrance. His face was downturned and hidden by the dark, but I could tell it didn't matter if I could see his face, because his body was covered in metal. In his hands, purposely out in the pre-dawn light for me to see, was a chain; the same one I used to get up here.
I stepped back on my heels as the realization moved through me. I'd cornered myself. I'd walked right into the Chain Man's trap. What the hell? In the three months, I'd been here, I'd never even gotten cornered because I'd always been cautious. So why now of all nights must I get cornered?
"I'm nobody," I answered, looking around for a way out. There's always a way.
"No, I know Nobody, he's a good guy. So, what's yer real name 'Nobody'?" He asked. I snapped my eyes over to him once more, and my jaw fall behind my mask. He's so bold. For a guy crouched in shadow and who didn't even show his face in the fight down in the alley, he was rather forwards.
"What's it to you?" I asked.
The man sighed heavily, like I was a petulant child, and stood up. His face was still covered by a shadow when he stood to his full height -my height-, though I could have sworn I saw something green when some light reflected off his face. He dropped the chain he held, effectively, to my knowledge, disarming himself. His three-fingered gloves balled up, he put his legs into a shoulder width, half crouched stance, and crossed his arms over his chest. Now that he stood I saw that beside him was a helmet. That he'd taken off. Why...
"Look, lady. Ya jus' now stopped me from doin' my job, murderin' them no less. The least ya can do is tell me yer name." He said, voice a mimic of his stance in tone. He sounded painfully familiar in a way that made me think I met him recently. I rolled my neck in a nervous tick and looked at the helmet once more. It looked familiar too. Almost like… Oh, I did know who I was talking too.
"Alright Night Watcher. It's Susan. And yers?" I answered, mocking his accent. It angered me to some degree that I was facing New York City's "Justice", my supposed TV rival, the good to my bad. He worked alongside the police; he caught criminals to see what their fate was in court. I worked alongside our unalienable rights, which followed our right to live, be free, and be happy. It made me a different kind of Justice. The non-merciful kind. I see, dish out, and leave. Nothing more to it.
Nightwatcher paused, rocked on his heels, and seemed to steel himself as he answered.
"It's Raphael... How's yer arm?" He asked, and pointed at it. I looked at my arm, even pulled it away from my body to see what was going on with it, and watched the blood drip from my balled hand. I lifted it then, and brushed back the cloth.
The bullet did a good job. There was a hole about half the size of my pinky nail on my lower forearm, maybe three inches from my wrist, and from it, even when in a mock tourniquet, a rather large amount of bright colored blood dripped from it. The color of the blood was relieving because it meant the bullet missed a major vein or artery, but the amount was startling. As I watch the blood with caution, Nightwatcher got closer to me. I didn't have time to move when rough gloves appeared in my vision and grabbed my wrist. I chirped in pain that the grab caused me, and looked up to either push him or punch, and proceeded to choke on the chirp. Instead of doing anything in retaliation to him grabbing me, I froze in shock at what I saw. I was, without a doubt, staring at a turtle. Man. Hybrid. Thing.
The longer I stared the more I realized he was, unmistakably, a turtle. Which did answer one thing; I had never met him before. He also looked human somehow… His skin reminded me of red oak tree leaves, something I loved while I was in Indiana. His skin, or rather face as that was the only skin of his I could see, was a mix of scale-like humanish skin that looked hard to the touch. It was remarkably unblemished considering the business he ran at night, save the crease that was his mouth, his nostrils, and eyes. His eyes, which were squinting at my wound, were hazel yellow. They burned my skin with the heat of a fire that fit his mask, a red bandana. He didn't have hair, which I imagined wasn't actually by choice because of his skin, but the tails of his bandana acted like the hair he didn't have. His appearance, as a whole, was awe-worthy. The delicate balance of reptile and human paired with the color of his skin and the contrast of his mask made an awe inspiring image of something that teetered on freaky.
Raphael looked at me with a little smile across the crease of his mouth. White teeth appeared behind the seam of his lips and gleamed in the rising sun, and the mirth of it matched his eyes. I thought I could hear distant police sirens, but neither the sun nor the sirens made me run. I was rooted to the spot, amazed that I was staring at a turtle/human hybrid. He was a mutant, a freak of nature. I should want to run away, but I don't. In fact, my staring, fueled by curiosity, colored me red, and I looked away blushing for the first time in a long while.
"Yer goin' ta lose more blood if ya don' get ta a doctor soon. My brother's smart, our family doc, he can get the bullet out an' help ya heal." Raphael said. At 'Brother' I snapped out of whatever trance had me staring. I pulled back while yanking my arm out of his hands. I ignored the pain the movement caused as I crossed my arms over my chest. I stepped sideways and back, turned to leave, but stopped as he sighed in an almost tired way and rubbed his face in what looked like a rough scrape.
"Look, I know I ain't the best lookin' guy around, but yer arm needs help," He sighed out. I turned and faced him bodily once more, this time with a snort of dark amusement.
"Firstly, my arm is fine, just some blood," I lied easily. "Secondly, you're right, you ain't the best lookin' guy around, but that's not why I'm leaving. Family isn't something I deal with."
"Wha' about yer family?" He asked, only genuine curiosity fueling that question. I froze at the mention, and willed myself not to remember. My history, any of it really, was not something I felt good about. But there was no way out without causing a lot more stress to both of us if I tried to circumvent it, and I realized that I'd likely get away from him easier if I appeased his curiosity. I sighed heavily.
"They died three years ago in a train crash, a mass homicide. Now if you don't mind, I need to go…" I trailed off and turned to leave once more. I stopped again when a hand grabbed me. I'm forcefully twirled around, and I found I was suddenly too close to Raphael's green face. I could see the tiny flecks of yellow in his eyes at this distance, and I felt like I didn't have my mask on as his eyes pierced mine through the clear visor. For a second I thought I saw surprise on his face, but it was gone in the next instant.
"Let me help yer arm. Being the Night Terror of New York City an' all, I doubt ya can go ta the hospital." He murmured. I inhaled to make a counter, but stopped. He was right. I was stuck between a rock, a hard place, and a rockslide. If I leave, I won't be able to go to the hospital because they'd know who I was by blood work. The missing orphan from Oregon and Indiana, last seen in Indiana six months ago with her 'foster family', who never filed a missing child's report when I left. Even if I managed to get away again, they'd have a fresh print of my DNA for when I did leave something at my kill sites, and then my face would be known. Without medical help, it was extremely likely my arm would get an infection, and I'll die without antibiotics, which you can only get at a hospital or pharmacy. I can't go waltzing into a pharmacy and buy antibiotics either because I had no money, and the type I'd need wouldn't be an over the counter drug. On the other hand, if I went with Raphael I might get attached to his family, however weird they may look.
Which is worse? Getting put in foster care, being found guilty of being the Black Mask Terror, dying of an infection, or getting attached to a family of mutants? All sound bad, but living was better than dying, and a small attachment is better than foster care… Plus, I don't like the thought of dying at sixteen years old. Especially while I'm still choking New York City with fear of my name.
I looked down again, doomed with my answer from the start.
"I'll go. Only until my arm is healed. After it's healed, I'm leaving, and you will never see me again beyond what is required of our jobs." I said, reluctant, and he sighed in relief. I stretched out my left hand for a deal shake, which he took. I drew myself in as he turned around, and began leading us to the opposite side of the building. We made it a few feet before I got a dizzy spell and I find the ground suddenly felt sideways. In an attempt to control my descent I reached out for the nearest tall surface, which happened to be Raphael's back. Which made me wonder, does he have a shell under there? How many fingers and toes does he have? Does he have a tail? What does he use to use the bathroom?
"Hey! Wha- Susan?" He said, going from accusing to concerned in the time it took for me to collapse to my knees. I fluttered my eyelids a few times in an attempt to see and got a bearing of my surroundings once I stopped moving. I was flat on my back, and the colors of the sky swirled a little in my mind. I focused on Raphael, who wasn't hard to see as he leaned over me, and took a moment to try and collect my thoughts. The second I could breathe I gasped for air to talk.
"Loss of blood… dizzy spell." I told him. He nodded, understanding the situation now, and swooped down to pick me up. My head fell back for a moment as I was suspended before he adjusted my cranium to rest on the cool metal over his shoulder. My left arm swung up and around his neck, and I grabbed whatever plating made up his back. He moved me into a more compact, easier hold before he started to move.
"Don't let me fall, Raph…" I trailed off on his name, unable to finish it as another wave of dizziness overcame me as we jump to the next roof. He looked down at me as soon as his feet landed on the next building, and I saw an emotion flash in his eyes.
"I won't, Susan." He answered, genuine and honest. Something cold moved through me at the name he used, and my mother's berating voice came through. ' How could you do that? Raphael wants to help you and you lie to him? I raised you better than that. '
Why didn't I give him my real name when he asked? What could he possibly do with it? Tell the police? I think they'd be more interested in him than me…
"Not Susan," I muttered, knowing what to do but not how to say it. Raphael glanced down at me, surprised. He must have thought I conked out already.
I felt like I was dropped, and tightened my arms around the turtle hybrid for reassurance. He didn't drop me though, he was just getting us to ground level.
"Not Susan?" He asked, setting me down on the ground and leaning me against some surface. The sound of something heavy pierced the air, and I'm once more picked up. This time though I was tossed over the turtle's back, and I noticed the clear maneuvering use in the Fireman Carry Hold. I unconsciously wrap my arms around him in an attempt to help, and felt us drop again. What was below ground level?
"That's not my name. An alias. Fake…" I whispered, pretty sure Raphael was able to hear me. My head was right next to his.
The smell of something similar to sewage attacked my senses in the next instant, and its intoxicating smell was what officially pulled me under.
Well, at least Raphael knew not to call me Susan.