Chapter Warnings: The following chapter is rated T for Teen for violence and swearing.
The Markings of a Hero
Chapter Eleven: Loose Ends
Most good things, and bad, happened at night. That was his business perspective. Out of all of his dealings and jobs, the best ones came at night. So it was no surprise that Cameron van Cleer, born Drury Walker, was up and out at four o'clock in the morning.
His client this morning- or rather his clients- were a gangbanger from Dakota City known as Holocaust and the notorious Tobias Whale. The location of their meeting was Ivy Town after the fiasco that happened two days ago in nearby New Camford. Ivy Town did not have as many costumed cops running about trying to maintain order; just four or five of them. And most importantly, Ivy Town was a lot quieter at four o'clock in the morning than the tourist-infested New Camford.
Dropping down in the alleyway, the man landed in costume. His long sleeve top was a light purple with his signature orange moth emblem on it. His pants were a matching orange as the emblem on his top. Around his waist was a utility built, derived from the photos of Batman's, with his large signature cocoon gun. The orange wings on his back folded downward to form a cape-like appearance as he stood and fixed his yellow gloves. But the most distinct detail was the green fanged helmet that gave him the appearance of his namesake.
"Killer Moth," Tobias Whale said from the shadows. "It's good to see that someone from Gotham has a sense of time."
Behind Whale, Holocaust appeared. "We're not here to talk about stupid shit like that. What the hell is this guy good for again? Weapons?"
"Yes. Weapons. But not just guns." Whale explained. "From what I hear, Killer Moth has an entire collection of gadgets that can compete with the Bat. That, and he has friends in Gotham that'll help us move this along. For cheap."
Holocaust frowned. "Who's that stupid?"
"His name is Firefly," Killer Moth spoke. "And don't call him stupid. He just… He just likes the job, that's all."
"The dumb fucker who goes around blowing shit up? You're going to hire him as well?" Holocaust's question was directed towards Tobias. "What kinda shit are you pulling here?"
Tobias took in a deep breath. "Firefly is need for… Corporate sabotage. When you can't beat your competitors, it's nice to just burn them to the ground." Tobias gave Holocaust a raised brow. "I thought you of all people could understand that."
"Yeah, well we gotta deal with those punks in Camford first." said Holocaust. "Word on the street is that that Nightwing guy has been snooping around Bludhaven and he just magically shows up here as soon as Killer Moth appears? He's either tailing him or working with him."
Killer Moth raised his hands. "Nightwing and I aren't working together. Hell, I don't even know who the guy is."
"Leave Nightwing to me. For now, I want you two to get to know each other well." Tobias stated. "Holocaust will be delivering the goods New Camford. From there, I will distribute it to where it needs to go. He gets paid. I get paid. And Moth, for every cop, hero, or grandma who tries to stop us you put in the ground, you get paid. Oh, and for the other goods that you can bring us."
"These 'other goods' are for the senator's private guards, I take it." Tobias nodded at Moth's question.
"They are. And once I have Kord Industries, we'll be able to sell your product to more people. I hear Two-face pays a pretty fine for weapons such as these." Whale added.
Holocaust scoffed. "I couldn't care less. Guns… I don't need them. My crew doesn't need them."
"But mine does." Tobias stated. "And my crew is your crew and vice versa. These heroes are getting smarter, tougher. So we need to adapt or be forgotten."
"That shit-"
"If you think," By now, it was clear to Killer Moth that Tobias was annoyed by the younger man. It was heard by the way Tobias spoke now. "That Paris Island was shit, then you've never heard about Suicide Slums in Metropolis. Cats down there would sell their own mothers into prostitution for lunch money. Yeah, you survived the Big Bang in Dakota. I respect that. But you wouldn't know what to do in a world where people looked at death as a promotion from God… Because they hated working for me."
Holocaust was mildly impressed by the speech while Killer Moth was more than ready to leave. Moth knew about Whale and his doings, the most memorable was hanging the corpse of a teenage Earl Clifford from a basketball goal at a park. The man was ruthless, even more so than Holocaust next to him. And Killer Moth was not going to be another one of those victims.
"I have return to Metropolis," Tobias said with his attention solely on Moth now. "Can I count on you to get the first batch of those 'ice bombs' ready?"
Killer Moth nodded. "It'll be ready in a day or two. I'll personally deliver it to you." The man in the helmet looked at Holocaust. "Nice to finally meet one of you people."
"Are you some sort of racists or what?" Holocaust growled.
"No, not racist," defended Killer Moth. "Just never been to Dakota, is all. I read about it though. Glad that I can see the results of the gas in person."
"Say something like that again," threatened Holocaust. "I'll give you a real taste of what I can do!"
"Not here. Not now." Tobias told the pair. "Let's go. I have a bird to kill."
"What about that Yellow Jacket that's scaring all the guys in Cheshire Square?" Holocaust questioned.
Tobias waved him off. "I'll deal with him. I promise."
Killer Moth silently walked away. He had listened to the tales from Bludhaven about Nightwing and the Yellow Jacket in New Camford. Nightwing was on his tale for reasons Killer Moth could not figure out at the moment. And then there was the Yellow Jacket. The guy seemingly appeared, raised hell, and left- nothing like the heroes that Killer Moth was used to. Yellow Jacket was not apparently after anyone, per se, though he did have the tendency to appear during Moth's deals. He had interrupted two of them while robbing one of his caches. The duo was no Batman and Robin. They were worse.
It took one five hours to drive from New Camford to Gotham City. Of course, anyone who had actually done that knew that there was no online map that added the Connecticut-New York- New Jersey traffic accurately, meaning that five hour drive could become six or seven, or sometimes four depending on the driver.
It took four hours for the train in Ivy Town to make that same trip without the annoyances of drunken tourists driving horribly and toll booths. So Eli's choice of transportation was train and he was currently not alone.
Eli glanced over at Jade's calm face. The girl had practically scared the hell out of him when she met him at the metro station, the two riding the subway to Ivy Town and then heading for the train station together. He was curious as to why she was coming with him and she had offered no real answer. Then again, she never did.
A loud buzz temporarily broke Eli's thoughts. Jade sighed as she answered her cell phone.
"Yeah…? No, I'm not there yet… Fine, fine, I'll call you then… Bye." Eli gave his companion an inquisitive look. "What's that look for?"
Eli shrugged a shoulder. "You never told me why you wanted to come to Gotham with me."
"I booked a hotel. Wanted a vacation." Jade then gave Eli a smile. "Did you want to room with me? Ben won't be here to stop anything that happens…"
Eli chuckled quietly. "He isn't there half the times you try to start this with me."
"Fair," the girl commented before closing her eyes once more. "I have some business to take care of. That, and I know that you somehow smuggled your gear on board so I wanted to know what you were up to."
Eli did not answer. He had found a way to sneak his costume on the train, guns included. He was not after Whale or Bookworm at the moment. This was about the Mozgov and Sullivan families. His intentions were very clear: Go in, shoot a couple of guys, question others, kill the man that killed his dad. Nothing more, nothing less.
However, Eli was unsure about Jade's intentions. The two were quite comfortable with the other doing "business" out and about, though Eli always questioned what would happen if her business crossed or interfered with his. It would happen in the future. They both understood that. Today, however, Eli was unprepared to see Jade on the opposite side of one of his guns or he on the opposite side of her blade.
"Are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?" Jade teased.
"I wasn't planning on it." Eli answered. "She is the daughter of the commissioner."
"Are you trying to make me afraid of her?"
"I'm pointing out why you would love to kidnap her." Eli countered. Jade merely shrugged. Having the commissioner of the GCPD in her back pocket due to her possessing his kidnapped daughter was a good idea. "But I'm staying down here for a few days."
"Killing off the Mozgovs?" Eli merely nodded his head. "Sounds like fun. Just be careful. I've never met him, but they say that Batman is pretty damn scary."
Eli snorted. "Batman isn't a vengeful son with guns."
"Who knows who's behind that mask?" Jade stated as she settled in the back of her seat. "Maybe it's some lunatic out for blood? Or some rich guy with nothing better to do with his life?" She paused and gave Eli a critical eye. "Maybe it's a girl who went through something similar to you?"
The pair just snickered at the thought before enjoying the silence of the train. Eli had not forgotten how she still avoided revealing why she was going to Gotham, but he was not going to push it. For the moment, he wanted to think about meeting his aunt and cousin and then eventually, his possible girlfriend. Only after they were all sated and placated would he do what he really wanted.
Cross the Mozgov Family off of his father's list once and for all.
Barbara sighed quietly as she lied in her bed. Last night had to be one of the longer nights of her Batgirl career with a plethora of crimes happening on her way home. Sadly, they were not Joker-trying-to-blow-up-the-theater crimes, oh no. No, these were petty girlfriend-keyed-boyfriend's-car crimes that, while Batman could overlook, Batgirl had an obligation to deal with. It seemed with each passing minute, the crimes got smaller and pettier until she was eventually the deciding factor to who could park in a specific spot along the street.
All in all, Barbara was in a restful mood today. Any and all crimes could be solved by the GCPD and Batman.
The redhead stretched out in her bed before rolling to dig through her discarded pants for her cell phone. She retrieved the mobile device, now positioning herself against the railing at the head of her bed.
A missed called from Richard. Obviously it was not important as he only called once and he left a message.
There were three texts from her friend Colleen. None were important enough to respond immediately.
Then Barbara's blue eyes widened. Apparently, Eli had called earlier today and she had missed it. Her fingers immediately moved to call him back before she could even process it. The last time they had spoken, two days prior, he had told her how he was currently trying to find a way to Gotham City without his mom and/or stepdad. She was curious as to if he did or not. The boy seemed determined- even downright stubborn- at points, and she picked that up during conversations with him.
"Yeah?" Barbara's heart actually sunk at the sound of another female on the other line. Of course, of course, there was something wrong with the guy. "Hello? Anyone there?"
"Um, no, sorry, I must have the-"
"You're Jacks' girlfriend, right? Barbara?" For unknown reasons, Barbara felt her face heating up.
"N-no, we're not dating. Not yet anyway." Barbara said, the last part coming out as a mumble. She cleared her throat and asked the question that was burning in her head. "Um, not to be rude, but who are you?"
The other girl chuckled. "I'm his big cousin, Mal. Jacks just got in not to long ago and went to… Oh never mind! Here he is!"
Barbara listened to the sound of a background conversation taking place before a loud and familiar grunt was heard.
"I'm sorry Barbara. Mallory doesn't always respect my personal boundaries." Eli said. It was obvious that he was directing his statement towards his cousin who could be heard laughing in the background. "Noisy ass bitch… Sorry."
Barbara giggled at his annoyance. "No problem Eli." She calmed herself enough to speak with nothing but a smile on her face. "So… You're in Gotham?"
"I told you I would be here." replied the boy before sighing. "I'm staying for a few days with my aunt and annoying cousin. If you wanted to meet up, we could."
"I'd like that." said the young heroine. "Will this be considered our first date?"
There was silence on the other line, startling Barbara. She had, in recent months, have come to known a handful of guys afraid of commitment. Fortunately, Barbara only knows this fact at the costs of her friend's failed attempts from going from one boy's "fuck buddy" to his actual girlfriend.
Barbara was really hoping that Eli was not that guy.
"Sorry," Eli said after a moment of silence. "My cousin, Mal's son, fell asleep next to me and he somehow got his foot in my side. The kid sleeps weird."
"Oh… Well-"
"And we'll have to have that date early." Eli interrupted. "My aunt wants me to spend some time with them tonight so she's taking us out tonight."
"Oh! Oh, that's fine." said Barbara. "So, um, when can you stop by?"
"I'd have to know where you lived, Barbara." Barbara noted how his voice changed from apparent irritation to something her mother would refer to as a "smooth operator."
"Well I could text you my address and be ready at, say, two-ish?" Barbara stated.
"…" Another pause came before she heard Eli release another groan of detestation. "This kid and his feet…" Eli released a sigh. "I'll be there. Maybe a little late. I'm going to go back to sleep."
"Late night?" Barbara questioned.
"Later than I wanted," Eli told her. "But more importantly, the train left early for Gotham, so I had to wake earlier than usual as well."
Barbara clicked her tongue at the fact. She had experienced that before. Those nights where being Batgirl took the driver's seat of her life and she found herself sneaking in just before sunrise. Those nights seemed to hurt worse during the school year for obvious reasons. Her parents had always blamed late night phone calls as the reason- and they were partially right too- but there was much, much, more than a call that kept Barbara up at night. She curiously wondered what it was that kept Eli awake.
Barbara shifted on her bed. "Say… You live near Cheshire Square, right?" Eli gave her an affirmative answer. "So… Have you seen the Yellow Jacket yet?"
"This guy," Apparently Eli was not a fan of the hero that has been causing, dare she say, quite the buzz in New Camford. "My ex seems to like him as well."
"Oh…"
"She has a blog online if you want to see." said Eli. "It has people talking about seeing him or stories that they heard. It's really becoming annoying… Almost as annoying as my cousin right now."
A giggle was heard in the background making Barbara believe that Mallory had returned into the room.
"I have a friend visiting in New Camford," Barbara began. "He said that he had met the Yellow Jacket before. It was in some store."
"Must've been downtown a few days ago then," Eli noted. "Hannah, my ex, was telling me about it. Apparently it was some shoot-out, random people ended up dead. People he didn't save…"
Barbara's lips twisted. "You don't sound so enthusiastic about heroism."
"I have my reasons," his words made Barbara believe that there as more to the tale. However, he was quick to push it off though. "Hey, do you mind if I call you back later? Mal is really killing my patience."
"Oh, no, it's fine." Barbara said. "I'll just text you my address and we can leave later, 'kay?"
"Sure… Is your dad going to interrogate me?" Eli questioned, gaining another small laugh from Barbara.
"No! He's at work right now." Barbara said. "My mom however…"
"So long as she doesn't have a police escort with her I'll be fine." Eli replied. "See you then."
"Bye." she said quietly, he replying, before the two hung up.
Barbara lied in bed and stared upwards at the ceiling. Her last date, if one could call it a date that is, did not go that well in the least bit. It rained. The guy, as handsome as he was, was a bit cheap and interested in every female that walked by their table. Her dad had sent two covert officers to watch the pair from a nearby table. And to top it off, Batman called her for some assistance.
Overall, that particular night sucked and she was really hoping that this date did not go half as bad as that one. Eli seemed alright on paper and she was physically attracted to him. However, he could be scum in disguise and be worse than the guy post-Richard.
Pursing her lips in thoughts, Barbara looked back at her cell phone. Apparently, she just found a reason to call her good friend Colleen for some personal advice.
Dressed in a short-sleeved collared shirt and jean shorts, Eli stepped out of the cab and stared at the home. Barbara stayed in a townhome in a neighborhood that oddly reminded Eli of Cheshire Square, possibly better. He gave the cab driver a hand gesture to wait while he made his way to the porch and rang the doorbell.
Despite the fact that it was well past two in the afternoon, thirty plus minutes to be exact, Eli was still tired. He had spent most of the previous nights stopping smaller unimportant crimes with the SRC and researching everything his father had about Killer Moth. It was very little and did nothing to solve the problem of the guns that were being pushed through his city.
Yet, that was a problem for another time. For now, he had to deal with the redhead answering the door.
"Eli!" Barbara said as she slipped out of the home. He raised his brows in mild humor, knowing this action as one Hannah did often. "Let's get going!"
"In a rush?" he teased her lightly, knowing the feeling all too well. Yet, when she grabbed his hand, he knew that his taunts would have to wait.
"So… I was thinking we could catch a movie, if that's alright." Barbara stated as she led her date to the taxi. "Just anywhere that my parents can't find me easily. They have this thing about hiring off-duty officers to tail me."
Eli opened the door for her. "I understand."
He did. Hannah's parents were just as watchful on them the first few dates. It got beyond irritating to Eli at points, though Hannah's overall positive attitude killed any revenge he could have planned.
Barbara wasted no time in telling the driver that they were going to the nearest theater and Eli found himself seated with a redhead who he had not seen in person since the Stagg fundraiser here in Gotham City. He casually scanned her, in a way that he was able to take in most of her details without looking like a complete perverted and hormonal teenage boy.
Her red hair was pulled into a ponytail that allowed him to get the fullness of her blue eyes behind her glasses. Her white blouse and purple skirt was somewhere in between taunting and professional- almost as if she was purposely giving him dirty librarian fantasies. Her skin tone seemed… Perfect. Not too pale where it gave him weird vampirish vibes or too tanned like a woman who constantly tried to get a tan for summer fashions. But somewhere perfectly in-between the two.
"So," Barbara said, her attention going from outside the window to the male beside her. "How are you?"
It was a rather lame attempt for an ice-breaker, but Eli took the bait nonetheless. It wasn't as if he had a better conversational starter.
"Tired." was his honest answer. "Work has been stressful. And moving in with my mom has been a pain in the ass as well." He paused and looked at her directly. "Do you mind if I cuss?"
"I'm a big girl. I can handle it." she told him with a smile. "Just… Express yourself."
Eli sighed. "Not a lot to express. My dad was recently killed and-"
"Oh no. I'm sorry." That had been something he had not told her during their talks together. He mentioned that he had to move in with his mom, but Barbara had just pinned it on a bad divorce or something. "Are you okay?"
"Better now, honestly," said the boy before releasing another breath. "I just had to get out of the city, you know? Away from everyone who just wants me to cry on their shoulder." He looked out of the window to his right. "But crying won't bring him back."
"…" Barbara stared at her date before looking downwards. "I lost my parents too…"
"What?" Eli questioned, looking at her. "I thought-"
"James Gordon is my uncle, not my dad. My parents, my birth parents, died in a car crash when I was two." Barbara recounted. "We lived in Dakota City- the city where the Big Bang happened? It was before then though…"
Eli swallowed. "So your uncle adopted you?" Barbara nodded. "Do you ever think about them?"
"Sometimes. Other times, I'm just happy that I had someone to take me in, you know? Someone who loved me." Barbara stated.
"Wish I could say the same about Mr. and Mrs. Nolan." noted Eli. "Not that I'm not grateful, because I am. I just… I just can't be who they want me to be. Worse, they have a son."
"I know!" Barbara added. "It's like, how can I actually compete with their actual son?"
Eli smiled. "Yeah… Bastard gets everything handed on a silver platter. Meanwhile, I feel like I'm walking-"
"On eggshells?" the redhead finished, Eli simply nodding his head. "I know the feeling. It's like, no matter how hard my dad tried to make me feel welcomed, I still knew that he wasn't my dad or that she wasn't my mom. And then when he got remarried, it was awkward all over again."
Eli leaned back in his seat, looking at Barbara.
"When my mom first married Robert," he recounted. "I think I refused to speak to her for about a month until my dad forced me to. When I got older, it got worse. I started calling her 'Mrs. Nolan' instead of referring to her as my mom. Sometimes though… I don't think she deserves it."
Barbara smiled. "Eli, she's still your mom. I think she deserves to be called that. At least to her face."
Eli snorted. "Right… A few weeks ago, I didn't even know she lived in Gotham before moving to New Camford or that she ran away from her home in Bialya. It's kind of hard to say that she's my mom when I don't even know her. Didn't even know my dad apparently."
"Then get to know her. You're smart. I know that." Barbara told him. "Just sit and talk to her."
Eli's brows rose. "And say what?"
"I don't know," Barbara responded with a shrug. "Maybe the truth? Or just a lie that'll dissolve the tension? Anything positive really."
"Can't even remember the last time I told her that I loved her." Eli said before chuckling. "Damn… This is not the conversation for the first date, is it?"
"No, but it's a fresh change." joked Barbara. "You could've been some crazy psycho. Glad to know that part of you." Barbara smiled. "Besides, my friends and mom have been urging me to go on a date for weeks now. It's better with you than half of the guys I've met."
"I don't know if that's a compliment or if the guys you met have all been creeps your dad brings in for questioning." Barbara smiled.
"Between you and me, I kind of have a thing for the bad boys." giggled Barbara.
"What does that say about me?" Eli questioned.
"I guess I'll have to find out."
Eli took in the moment. He was unsure if Barbara's dad and/or mom had assigned a detail to follow them. He did not know if Jade currently knew his location or if the Vietnamese girl had found her long-lost father and was putting a blade through him. And he did not know if Nightwing was, once more, putting Tobias Whale on edge by ruining another meeting. But he knew that Barbara Gordon was easy to talk to. And, for the first time since his father's death, that's all Eli wanted.
Someone to talk to.
It was not odd to be in Wayne Manor and not speak to Bruce Wayne. There were literally hundreds of former party guests, mostly guys, who could attest to this. But sleeping in the manor without Bruce's knowledge was another thing and going into the kitchen and avoiding one Alfred Pennyworth was damn nigh impossible. So Richard was not trying to sneak around the manor he had abandoned months ago. He was not trying to avoid Bruce, if the man was even there that is. He was just trying to get the conversation with Alfred over with.
Strolling into the kitchen with a bad case of bed hair and tired legs, Richard saw the aged butler give him a look of amusement and pity.
"I know." Richard said as he took a hand through his hair. "I'll cut it later."
"I'm sure you will Master Richard." Alfred replied while fixing Richard a breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage. "I've read the reports. You left the cave in Bludhaven for New Camford. While I believe that the change of scenery from the grunge of Bludhaven to the arts and craft of New Camford is a welcoming one, I must believe that you did this for the job."
Richard sat on a bar stool at the breakfast bar. "I did. Found Killer Moth."
"You did? Then I guess it was a trip well worth it." Richard released a long exasperated breath. "Unless something happened."
Richard shook his head. The loyal butler had no idea just how big of an understatement that was. New Camford was indeed a new environment with characters only seen there. But, the one person that stayed on Richard's mind was the gun-slinging anti-hero in yellow.
Hornet was not an easy guy to pin down. For the most part, Richard saw Hornet as someone that Nightwing would have to put away. There was no doubt that Batman would have done so on the first night, the night that Richard actually saw him shoot a man in the legs to get answers. Now Richard was helping a known murderer and was at odds with himself.
"Master Richard," Alfred gained the teen's attention. "Is everything alright? You seem a bit contemplative at the moment."
Richard sighed. "It's nothing Alfred. I just… I just have a lot to deal with."
"Ah, yes, I see," Alfred's voice was, as it always was, filled with a limitless amount of insight. "I take it that this has something to do with your trip to New Camford. Maybe a revelation of sorts?"
"Yeah… A revelation…" Richard mumbled.
His time in Bludhaven had given him a revelation of sorts. Being friendly with the bad guys only got you so far. There was a time that being feared was actually a good thing. Then again, it was not the fear factor that he questioned. It was how one achieved that fear factor. And Hornet used death and guns to obtain that fear factor. It would work in Bludhaven. It works in New Camford. And Richard was certain it would work in Gotham as well.
But murder was murder.
Alfred sat a plate full of food in front of Richard.
"You know," Alfred said. "When you think like that, you bear a striking resemblance to Master Bruce."
Richard snapped out of his thoughts. "What?"
"I figured that that would get your attention." Alfred said with a taunting gleam in his eyes. "You seemed distracted. I take it that your time in New Camford and/or Bludhaven is the reason behind this. Whatever it is, you know that I am here right?"
Richard nodded. It was not like he did not know that Alfred was there; both the literal and figurative senses of the word. Yet there was something inside of Richard that constantly told him to keep this with himself. If Alfred knew that he was aiding a murderer then things between them would be different.
It wasn't like Batman worked with murderers.
Well… Maybe he did? Maybe Batman allied himself with known criminals from time to time to solve a common and larger problem? It wasn't like Robin was always with Batman to know. And those times when a criminal was nearby, it was normally in the form of a thief in a skin-tight leather catsuit.
"Bludhaven… It was more than I thought." Richard stated. "It's worse than Gotham down there."
"True. But I don't think that that is what is bothering you, sir." replied Alfred.
Damn him and his insight.
"I met the Hornet." Richard blurted out.
"Ah," It was all that Alfred could say at the moment and Richard knew why. If any of the news from New Camford made its way down to Gotham City, then Alfred knew all about the gun-slinging Yellow Jacket. "I saw him save you from a restaurant in New Camford. What was it called again?"
"Mylos and-"
"And the guy he shot later died in the hospital." Bruce's arrival did nothing to help Richard's mood. The two had not spoken since he left and Richard was doing all in his power to keep that record going. "I heard you applied to an academy in Jump City. If you're going to go out there while maintaining presence in Bludhaven, you're going to need transportation."
"I got it." Richard darkly shot back.
Then he laughed, catching Bruce and Alfred off guards. While they had no idea why Richard was laughing, the teen had to find it funny that he sounded just like Hornet now.
"I got it," Richard restated in a lighter tone. "I just needed some time to rest. I'm working on something."
Bruce released a thoughtful hum. "I see. Is Barbara helping you with this?"
"No." answered Richard.
"Because he's helping you, isn't he?" Richard kept quiet, now putting his attention to his breakfast. In his mind, he really did not owe Bruce an explanation. "I've heard the reports. He's dangerous. The incident at Kacey One. The people that died-"
"Nice to know that you care that I didn't die. The missile was aimed at me." snidely commented Richard.
"Dick-"
"This is my mission. I don't need you to interfere in it." Richard said. "Besides, doesn't Catwoman have some more important information to give you? I'm sure the Penguin is looking at something she wants to steal."
The two pair of blue eyes stared at one another. Richard was not going to back down this time though. He had enough nights wondering all the "what-ifs" and if he could have stopped Blackmask and the other criminals from escaping Blackgate. The teen was done with being haunted by all the men, women, and children who lost their lives during the break-out and subsequent murders from the escapees.
Bruce, oddly, concedes. "Fine. I won't interfere. Unless, I feel as if it has become too big for you. I know that Killer Moth went up to New Camford to make a deal and I know that your incident at Kacey One connects to that deal. But if I find out that Moth's contact is too dangerous, I pull the plug."
Richard hopped off of the stool and picked up his plate.
"You're not my dad." The teen muttered before taking his plate and leaving the kitchen.
Alfred released a breath of exasperation as Richard left.
"It seems that he still believes that you treasure Miss Kyle over him," Alfred stated. "You should try to reach out to him before the worst can happen."
"I've been monitoring most of his actions. Clark has offered to help as well."
"Ah… That's why he went down to Metropolis." Bruce nodded at Alfred's words. "So what has him back in Gotham?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." Bruce stated. "Whether he wants me to or not."
"Master Bruce, wouldn't it be easier-"
"In order for me to appreciate you, I had to believe I had no one else." Bruce interfered. "I'm going to let Dick think he's alone. Eventually, he will return to us."
"Don't you mean you?"
"Yes. He will return home."
Eli had no idea just who Barbara Gordon was until now. She was not just a nerd as he assumed. She had her moments of being fun to be around, laughing and cracking jokes about this or that. Eli found it highly amusing when she would say a joke that actually went over his head and she, whilst laughing, would have to explain it to him. Those jokes were never that funny to him but to see her attempt to calm down to explain it to him was humorous.
In the end, Eli found that time out of costume and not stuck either dodging George or keeping Hannah and Jade from killing one another (more like Jade killing Hannah) was exactly what he needed. Barbara seemed to keep his mind completely focused on everything except Killer Moth or Tobias Whale or Holocaust.
"I can't believe that you took me here."
Eli did not answer Barbara, just giving her a sly smirk as she allowed him to pull her through the closed Amusement Mile. There were people here; even a few vendors opened selling an assortment of carnival foods.
"We could've crossed over to Metropolis if the movie would've let out earlier," Eli responded. "Besides, I wanted to come back here after it shut down. Kind of makes me think of happier times with my dad."
Barbara, now walking next to the taller male, smiled.
"Too bad all of the rides were shut down. I remember as a kid, I would ride the Ferris wheel to see if I could spot all the islands. I never could." recounted Barbara. "My dad would show me how to shoot at the duck hunting booth. My mom would take me to go get my face painted."
Eli took in a deep breath. "I used to hate the clowns."
"I'm so over clowns now." Barbara joked with an eye roll. "I think the Joker put us all off of clowns forever."
"Wouldn't know. That kind of news doesn't make it to New Camford often." Eli responded. "Up there, Joker doesn't kill people like the average guy does. No name thugs with guns run up and shoot either some wannabe hero or a bystander watching."
Barbara glanced at Eli. "And you? How do you view this new type of crime? Hooded and masked men and women killing and robbing everything in sight, what do you think about it?"
"I think that, in some light, there isn't a real right or wrong. Even if you were to go by some religious code, there is another religion to counter your beliefs." Eli said, his eyes looking upwards at the sky as the pair walked. "They believe that whatever they are doing, they are justified. They are right. The so-called 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' they're all right."
Barbara frowned in thought. "That's… Not what I expected."
"The guys that killed my dad. To them, they had a reason. He wasn't just some random hit. It was planned and it was carried out." explained Eli. "The guys that my dad may or may have not killed in Qurac when he was stationed there, they were apparently 'enemies of the state' and my dad did what he thought was right for our country. Murder either way you slice it, right?"
"I guess…" Barbara thoughtfully replied.
"So the way I see it," Eli continued. "By law, there is a right and a wrong. But then when we see the morality of it… Nightwing beating the hell out of people for information is no different from gangs beating on a rival gang member on their turf. It just depends on which side of the fist you're on."
Barbara kept quiet as she digested the words. He had a point, a valid point. But she would not expect someone who had never dawn a mask and cape to know the thin line between justice and vengeance and good and evil. Sometimes to do good, one had to go dangerously close to that line between light and dark.
Eli had similar yet different thoughts. He believed that Barbara could only see things through a cop's perspective via her dad. He saw things through a hood and a mask with guns. If he pointed his guns at a clerk, he's a criminal. If he pointed it at the guy robbing said clerk, he's a hero. Either way, he was pointing a gun at someone without a badge and it was, overall, wrong. The only thing that made it right was Eli's belief that he was doing right.
"You sound like someone who has seen this happen before. Someone doing the wrong thing and thinking it is right, that is." Barbara stated quietly.
Eli chuckled lightly. "Yeah, well, I just fought two guys because they wanted to beat my younger brother. Sam used the "N" word and they overreacted." Eli sighed. "Sam thought he was right for using a word that someone used on him first. They thought that they were right for stopping a so-called 'white boy' from using that word in a black neighborhood. And I thought I was in the right for defending some loudmouth eight-year-old who is lucky we share the same mom. In the end, we're all wrong."
"Well," Barbara replied. "I think you were being a hero- a true hero that is. You saved him from being hurt. And even if you see it as him deserving of the pain, you prevented it." Barbara gave Eli a smile. "You're a hero."
"Too much responsibility for my taste." joked Eli as the two approached a man doing card tricks.
"Come one, come all!" the magician said as Eli and Barbara neared him. "You there! Pick a card, any card, and be amaze!"
Eli's eyes narrowed as he played along. He had been spent nearly two months learning sleight of hand and stage magic. He was working on his escapes, but card tricks were becoming a thing of the past. If this guy thought he was going to be fooled then he had another thing coming.
"Fine," Eli said paying the man first before looking at the cards being spread in front of him. "But what do I get if you can't pick my card?"
"A refund. But I always pick the right card." Eli just snorted. "What's the problem? You think that you can outsmart me?"
Eli paused in his reach. "Assuming that I care, right?" Eli looked at Barbara. "Do you believe in magic Barbara?"
"More or less," answered the redhead. She had seen Zatanna before but she was sure that Eli was not referring to that type of magic. "Do you?"
Eli held a card to her. It was the three of clubs. Barbara memorized the card, as she did most of the things in her life, before Eli replaced the card in the deck. Barbara had no idea why Eli was standing as if he had just gotten away with something but said nothing. She just watched her date fold his arms and prepared to be impress.
"Now," the man said eying Barbara. "What's your birthday sweetie? You're apparently a better audience than your boyfriend here."
"The twenty-third of September." stated Barbara.
Eli watched the trick carefully as the man pretended that the numbers "9" and "23" were needed for the trick. They were not. In fact, Eli had seen the guy mark what he assumed was the card Eli put back in the deck with his thumb the entire time. It was out of sight to Barbara but clear as day to the teen who had learned a similar trick weeks ago.
"Is this your card?" The magician revealed a card to Barbara with a smile on his face.
Barbara looked at it. Nine of hearts.
"No." Barbara honestly said.
The man frowned. "What?" He flipped the next card over. "Then how about this?"
Ace of diamonds.
"Nope." Barbara said.
The man eyed Eli. "Alright kid, what the hell?"
"May I?" Eli asked. The street performer nearly threw his deck of cards at Eli who calmly shuffled them. "The card that I plucked was the three of clubs. Got that? Three of clubs."
"Yeah, yeah," the man sour retorted. "Just give me my cards back and…"
Barbara stared in shock as, being held in front of her at the bottom of the deck, was the three of clubs. Eli's face had a look of sureness on it that could only be matched up to the stone-cold cockiness of Batman whenever the Dark Knight had prevented some elaborate scheme to destroy Gotham. And then Eli simply handed the deck to the street performer and put his hands in his pants pockets.
"Thanks for the trick." Eli said taking a few steps away. "Coming Barbara?"
Barbara was stunned as she followed behind him.
"How'd you do that?" Now Eli smirked as he looked at her, going from Batman to Robin in five seconds.
"A magician never reveals his secrets, Barbara," Eli told her. "Besides, if I did reveal it, it would take away the magic, wouldn't it?"
"I guess…" Barbara said, downhearted that she had missed it. If Batman had been here and saw that she had missed this then she would have to endure another lecture about paying close attention to such things.
Eli noticed the slightly dejected look on Barbara's face which oddly took him back to his childhood. Instead of seeing a saddened expression, he saw the uninterested and deterred look that Leila had whenever Nick did tricks such as those. Leila always hated Nick's tricks.
"The House of Mirrors is still up?" Eli questioned.
Barbara paused in her step and saw the tent that Eli was currently eying. It was off-limits, as were much of the old attractions still standing were. Yet something told her that Eli did not care. And Barbara was all too willing to follow.
"You know," said Barbara. "This would be the first date that I've broken three laws on."
Eli smiled. "I'm not the best influence."
"Oh, I know," Barbara said as she took his hand. "But like I said, I have a knack for the bad boys."
Eli let her pull him towards the large House of Mirrors, sneaking under the caution tape in front of it. Again, he was just learning who Barbara Gordon was and he was growing to like her more and more. Their beliefs in costume vigilantes were different but they had common ground on their choices of leisure. The obvious black and white or boy and girl lines between them were long forgotten, let alone the differences in their geographical upbringings. There was just Eli Jackson and Barbara Gordon.
And for now, that was all that was needed.
Hours later, Eli felt his heart racing while contemplating on a possible reason Malcolm ran around as someone called the "Army Ant." The boy had concluded that loved ones could be the reason. His day of running around the northern-east parts of Gotham City with Barbara made him think of that. Maybe his dad went out every night to make sure Leila and Eli were safe from whatever that was out there. Maybe Army Ant followed the two when they least suspected it, beating off would be muggers or worse.
The teen shook his hooded head. That made little sense. If Malcolm had seen half the things that George had dragged Eli to, there would be no way that Malcolm was buried without some punishment.
"Maybe his death was my punishment…" Eli mused to himself as he looked over number of warehouses that lined what was known as Cape Carmine.
It was somewhere past ten at night and Eli had left Barbara hours ago to return to his aunt's apartment. Upon arrival, he had lied to his aunt and cousin and said that he was meeting up with Barbara again. This allowed him to find the hotel Jade was staying at and, after switching into costume, allowed him to scour the area as the Hornet.
Eli listened carefully. He already knew the differences between his hometown and his father's, but now he was seeing similarities. Sure Gotham City had more crime- it housed more people to commit more crimes- but the crimes were all about the same. A random robbery. A cry for help to prevent potential rape/theft. A few gunshots here and there. And of course, the random wannabe masked villain.
The one thing that New Camford did not have was a giant bat signal being shined into the night sky. It made Eli more than nervous as he had no idea just how the Batman would approach him- if the two should meet. Would Batman fly in? Would he just appear out of the darkness? Eli was unsure and it was making this job harder.
What was his job exactly? Well, after nights of studying, reading, and researching, Eli had finally found out where the Mozgov and Sullivan families liked to meet. His plan was rather simple: Take the Sullivan Family out while he was in Gotham City and then slowly dissect the Mozgov in New Camford. Eventually, they would be no more and he would have avenged his father.
An old rundown white Dodge van sputtered to a stop right in front of the gates. The Hornet was already in the actual shipyard, waiting patiently, as the heavily bearded driver got out of the van and pushed open the entrance gate.
Even from Eli's hidden spot on a nearby rooftop, he could tell that the man was young- probably no older than thirty. Then again, with the goggles that covered his eyes, there was not much that Eli could not see in day or night.
The man returned to his van and drove on, none the wiser of the vigilante currently stalking his movements. He parked in front of the very building that Eli was hidden atop of and left the van. He walked inside where four other members of the Sullivan Family resided.
"Oy, Crowler! Get in here!" A large wooly man bellowed with a bottle of beer in his left hand.
The young redhead driver who had just entered waved at the others.
"Sorry 'bout bein' late an' all. Me mum was pissin' 'bout some whanker she met." The young man, Crowler, spoke with a thick English accent.
A thin bald man guffawed. "Bwahaha! I'd like to be the whanker she wanks!"
"Oy! That's me mum ya gummin' about!" Crowler retorted.
The five men shared a loud laugh before going on about the latest boxing matches. Their conversation went on for minutes until a car alarm alerted them of something outside.
"Rory, Chumly, go see who's out there." The large wooly man ordered.
The thin bald man, Rory, and a tanned man walked out of the warehouse.
"Hey Kingsly," Crowler said. "Think it's those Sicilian punks?"
Kingsly sat his beer on a wooden box. "Nay. Bertinelli ain't the type."
The lights of the warehouse went out, blanketing the area in darkness. Kingsly stroked his graying black bushy beard as he looked around. His beady blue eyes attempted to spot the culprit for this event and then make the punk pay.
The powerhouse of the Sullivan Crime Family took a moment to list all the possible people behind this event. Of course, mysterious darkness and sneak attacks were something Batman, and that Azrael guy, were known for. Though he tried to steer clear of those kinds of guys, it would not be strange that one of the main family members had pissed off one of the heroes of the city.
Or it could be a rivaling group. Black Mask was not known for his respect, though he was big on preaching it. Well, respect and fear. But hiring some hitman to send a message was right up Black Mask's alley and Kingsly was well aware of that.
"Oy, those lads have been out there for a while now. Think they okay?" Crowler whispered as he crept towards Kingsly.
The large Kingsly growled. "No. Whoever is here has probably got them."
A shattered window in the building caught the remaining three men's attention. They could not see what window was broken but knew that someone was breaking in, not out. This made Kingsly reveal a small pistol that he kept in his pants, held by his belt.
"Find 'em." The large man ordered.
Crowler was not too adept at using a gun. In fact, he had never even used one before. HIs job as a driver meant that everyone else had to shoot while he just made sure that got away. It was simple. Now, he was debating that this was not so simple and his skill at the firing range should grow, or at least begin.
But he had to shoot now.
The young man of twenty-two crept around the aisle of crates as his two companions did the same. The warehouse was not the largest on the peninsula. It was normally used for meetings and such for the Sullivan Family and, during occasion, a spot to hold weapons until they were distributed. Tonight, most of the crates here were empty and they were not expecting another shipment for a few weeks.
"Fucking hell!" Crowler heard before a crash came next.
"What?" the driver looked around, seeing nothing but boxes and the moonlight coming from the skylights above. "M-Marty? Kingsly?" Neither of his two comrades responded. "Holy fuck…"
"You think you scare me you fucking- Ugh!" Kingsly's words were cut short by someone or something that Crowler could not see from his position.
And then there was silence. The car alarm was off. There were no footsteps or ruckus laughter from Kingsly. The only two things Crowler could hear were his heart beats and his labored breaths.
"I… I know you're there!" Crowler said, gripping his small firearm with both shaky hands. "I… I'll blast your face off, yeah!"
The deafening silence caused Crowler to back up slowly. Living in Gotham and having the "family business" that he had, Francis Crowler II was no stranger to the rumors of the Batman. The man was supposedly brutal, without killing, and could find any member of any crime family at any time during the night. And this silence was something that all Batman stories have; eerie silence.
Crowler spun around. He was now in a clearing of the boxes, able to see the table that Kingsly was previously at, both exits, and two rows of crates. He could see most of the warehouse…
Including the shadowy gunman coming from the aisle that he was previously on. Crowler quickly aimed his gun, seeing the person with a gun of his own, and fired shot after shot. The body fell, revealing it to be Kingsly with his hands zip-tied at the wrists, a gun zip-tied between his hands, and his mouth muffled by a pair of socks.
"Fuck me!" Crowler exclaimed upon seeing his bleeding friend on the cold floor. Crowler dropped his gun and ran to the man. "Don't be dead on me! I don't know what-"
A knee to the jaw caused Crowler to tumble left. His attacker did not allow him to regain his bearings, pouncing onto him with punch after punch. The young man could barely make out the attacker. The yellow mask was different, covering the entirety of the mysterious guy's head and face. The only clear feature was those pitch black goggles glaring down at him.
After what seemed like an eternity of punches, the attacker stepped away. Crowler was flipped onto his stomach, his arms wrenched behind him, and then he felt his wrists being tied roughly together by a zip-tie and then was kicked onto his side.
"Army Ant," A deep, distorted voice rang out. "Tell me why you guys targeted him."
"I don't know! I…" Two pistols to his face had Crowler stopping his response. "I m-mean I… I d-don't know much!"
Hornet removed his weapons from the man's face and squatted so that their faces were closer.
"Tell me everything that you know or else." Hornet barked.
Crolwer fidgeted. "There was this guy, a bloody random in a bar. He told us about some bloke from New Camford- Miles something." Eli growled, striking more fear into Crowler. "We were there with some of the Mozzies!"
"The Mozgov Family?"
"Aye! The Russians!" Crowler continued. "They sent a man, s-s-some guy named the Hound! He found Army Ant! I swear!"
Eli stood there in his squatted position and thought. Someone knew that Malcolm was the Army Ant and revealed his identity to the Mozgov Family. The Sullivan Family had little to nothing to do with it, apparently, which made him feel a little bad about the three dead in and around the warehouse. Now he had to find someone within the Mozgov Family to find out where to find this "Hound" character and make sure that his next kill was him.
"Stay put," Hornet demanded as he rose to his full height. "Help will come and get you soon." Hornet paused and pulled his hood over his head. "And if I find out that you're lying, I will find you again."
Crowler watched the vigilante hold up his right arm, a grappling hook seemingly firing with a mental command before launching the hooded vigilante through the glass sunlight on the roof. Crowler lied there beaten and bound with one thought repeating in his head over and over.
Who was that guy?
Jade despised when there was a problem that she could not actually spot so she could solve it. Problems were, by nature, annoying at the very least, but none were as annoying as those problems that she could not point out. It was as if someone was holding up a replica of a painting and telling her that it was a fake without her being able to spot out the small subtle differences. There was something wrong or different and she could not find it.
So here she was, sitting on one of the two beds in her hotel room, trying to find out the problem with Eli.
When he had arrived, he came through her window in costume. The fact that he had even learned how to do that without setting off every alarm in the building was astonishing. Then he grabbed his clothes from earlier and went into the bathroom to shower and change. He had offered her a glance before closing the door, a look she promptly registered as a "I'll tell you later" look. Though that did nothing to point her in the right direction.
Jade ruled out what he could have done or what could have pissed him off. His cell phone was left in his bag alone so he could not have spoken to his mom during the last few hours. He was here and relatively okay so she doubts that he ran into Batman or Joker or someone like that. The small specks of red on his yellow jacket told her that he got into a fight either with fists or guns and he had walked away from, possibly victorious.
Jade then thought that he was not mad, just tired. That was always a possibility and Eli was as cranky as they come when his sleep was interrupted. The train offered a decent sleep at best though not enough to make up for the weeks of early morning training and late night patrols. Tonight could have been just a reminder of how tired he was?
Eli finally came out of the bathroom, dressed in the collared tee shirt and jean shorts from earlier. His duffle bag with his costume in it was draped over his left shoulder and he had a noticeable cut above his top lip.
"You didn't hear anything, did you?" asked Eli.
Jade gave a frown. "Should I?" Eli shrugged and made his way to the offered bed and sat his bag on the floor before climbing on the empty bed. "What did you do?"
"I went looking for this Hound character." Jade's frown grew as Eli turned on his side, turning to face her completely. "The guy that killed my dad was hired by the Mozgov Family. And, from what I know, they figured out who he was before doing it."
"Ah," Jade responded. "So how many people did you kill tonight?"
Eli swallowed. "Five. Six if you count the guy I sent to get shot by his friend." He then sighed. "Though, now, it doesn't even register in my head that they're dying."
"Yeah it is. I can see it." Eli did not argue. Killing someone was something that he had heard from Eric time and time again though Eli always doubted that the SRC leader had actually done it. Doing it himself was something eating away at his conscious at night. "So are you staying here tonight?"
Eli shrugged again. "Don't know. Haven't checked my missed calls." Eli gave Jade a small glance which she shook her head, answering his silent question. "Great… I just hope Barbara didn't try to call."
"Aw! That's sweet! Miss your girlfriend already?" teased Jade with a smirk. Eli ignored her, rolling onto his back with an eye roll. "So… You kill the guy after your dad and then what?"
"I still have to figure out why he did it." Eli responded. "I'll find Bookworm just to end that mission of his. And then I go on with my life."
Jade had not expected that answer honestly. Ben had mentioned just how desperately New Camford needed one of those masked heroes and Eli seemed to fit the bill too well. The girl had heard the kids in Cheshire Square all pretending to be Batman or Superman with the kid that wanted to be different proudly scream out, "I'm Yellow Jacket!" While Jade was not one to give false hope she would be stupid to ignore the fact that Eli was hope for the city.
"You have to stop me." Jade pointed out. Eli turned his head to gaze at her bemused face. "You did promise Ben."
Eli released a heavy breath. "I guess you're right."
"And there's Tobias Whale." Now Eli waved her off.
"Nightwing and Captain Red can handle that. After you, I'm done." Eli said before lacing his fingers beneath his head. "I'm not a hero Jade. I told you that."
"Yet," Jade corrected as she unfolded her legs and stretched them out in front of her. "You're not a hero yet. Though, I know a couple of people who would think otherwise." Eli snorted. "Like it or not, people look up to you now. I think it's the jacket but who knows?"
Eli smirked with his eyes closed now.
"Don't be a hero Jade. They don't last long in New Camford." Eli remarked.
Jade made an agreeing sound while she just stared at the boy in the other bed. There was something amiss here and she still had no idea just what it was. That was going to bother her all night with Eli lying there. But, she figured that if something was beyond comprehension for Eli, he would undoubtedly ask for her help.
For now, Jade just relaxed in her bed. Tomorrow she had some "investigating" of her own that she had to do for Ben's sake and then she could focus on whatever hell Eli had dug up. Who knows? Maybe it would be worth the trip?
Quiet footsteps were barely audible as the duo looked around the area. There were men viciously beaten, one shot and killed, lying within the destroyed apartment. The earthly smell of marijuana filled the air as well as something being burned.
"Who could have done this?" the redhead asked her friend who had joined her for the night.
Nightwing remained quiet. The neighbor below had called about loud noises and such, which drew the cops' attention. Normally that would not register on Nightwing's radar until the address popped up as a place he had to look into for possible connections with Killer Moth and the Sullivan Family.
The GCPD and medical there allowed the two vigilantes to do whatever with belief that they would relay the message to Batman. They were also, in Richard's opinion, ruining the crime scene that he was trying to study.
"He's mad, I tell ya!" one of the injured shouted as he was being handcuffed. "Fucking mad!"
Nightwing saw the arresting officer lift the shouting man to his feet, walking him towards the door. Nightwing followed, motioning Batgirl to do the same.
"'He?' He who?" Nightwing asked the arrested man as they walked onto the paved walkway outside the apartment.
"The Jacket… The fucking Yellow Jacket is here!"
Nightwing blinked in bewilderment, ignoring Batgirl's follow-up questions. If this was Hornet's doings then that meant that Hornet knew about Killer Moth's deals before Richard did. Not only that, but he had gotten his information and left before the combined efforts of Batgirl and Nightwing even arrived.
Though one thing was for sure. Hornet was here in Gotham City for some reason.
"Wait a minute," Nightwing called out to the officer who had taken the arrested screaming man to his car. "One more question," Nightwing approached the handcuffed man. "You're alive so you must've talked. What did you tell him?"
The guy seemed to grow quiet for a moment before releasing a sigh.
"He came for the Hound, a hit-man for the Sullivan Family." The man gave Nightwing a frightened look. "He's with Black Mask, I know it! He's going to take us all out! You gotta stop him or else!"
Nightwing took in a deep breath. Hornet was reckless to say the least and he had little to no care about those he hurt along the way. Or so, it seemed. Richard knew that whoever it was behind the Hornet mask cared enough to keep people out of harm's way when it can be helped. It was hard to actually defend Hornet's actions as murder was never okay by Nightwing. Still, it was hard to argue against the results of his interrogations.
Then again…
Richard had spent time in Bludhaven. The restraint that Batman showed in Gotham City worked in Gotham City, not necessarily Bludhaven and not New Camford. The Hornet's tactics as grim and undesirable as they were worked and he knew how to target the best person to do it on. Nightwing could agree with the actual process, but the results… The results were damn well impressive.
Batgirl was a little confused when Nightwing simply walked away and jogged to catch him. When he aimed a grappling hook upwards and fired, she hurriedly repeated his actions to keep up with the prodigal son of the Bat.
"What was that?" Barbara asked.
Richard shook his head. "Don't worry about it." Barbara gave him a leveled "Not a chance" stare. "Fine. The Yellow Jacket from New Camford is here and he… Well, he's been helping me with Killer Moth."
Barbara blinked. "What? Does Bruce know you've been working with a murderer?"
"Of course he does. He knew before I had a chance to tell him." spat the male teenager. "And I didn't say I condoned everything he does, did I? I said he was helping me with tracking and finding Killer Moth and, apparently, he hit a lead."
"It doesn't sound like you're against his methods," Barbara quipped with her arms folded. "So why are you actually working with him if you know that he's killing people?"
"Well- I- Look," Richard finally settled. "Green Arrow has killed people before- and Black Canary. Does that stop the way you look at them?" Barbara's eyes narrowed into a spot on replica of the Batman glare. "Like I said, I'm not heralding the guy as the greatest in the world. I'm just saying that I needed help and I got it into someone I can trust."
"He's running around with guns killing people. Just how can you trust that?"
Nightwing smiled. "Everyone is afraid of a masked guy with guns, regardless of what suit he wears." Batgirl grunted before unfolding her arms, seeing as his friend had a valid point. "Come on. We're not going to find him like this."
"And what do we do when we find him?" questioned Batgirl.
"We do our jobs." Nightwing answered. "Now come on. We still have some moonlight to kill."
Barbara followed her friend despite knowing that something was amiss here. She had not heard much about this Yellow Jacket character as she did not follow local news from Connecticut. Judging from what had happened tonight, the apartment and the warehouse, she could safely assume that there were some serious anger issues with the guy or he just like shooting people for the hell of it. Either way, Richard knew the guy for however long that he did and had okayed him, which is what worried Barbara. There was no way that Richard- Robin- would condone killing of any nature; accidental or not from a hero or otherwise. Yet, Nightwing appeared to be a cohort, though a reluctant one, of Yellow Jacket's methods.
Something was definitely up.
As for Richard, he kept an eye open for anything that remotely looked like Hornet's person. He had already ruled out giving Hornet another speech about killing and just get right down to business- no need to waste his breath, right? If the New Camford native was here then there was a very valid reason and it was not just to stop by and say hello. He came for a target, apparently this Hound character, and he would be hell-bent on finding him. Nightwing knew that Hornet would, eventually, find out what he wanted and possibly get what he wanted by tomorrow night, if the guy worked as hard as Richard thought. At the moment, he could only do one logical thing…
Pray for whatever sorry bastard came up in Hornet's crosshairs.
Author's Notes: So, I'm going to push back Arkham Rising for the reason that I was hospitalized for the last two weeks over a allergic reaction to ant bites. The dizziness that those small bastards can induce... It's really something I don't wish on anyone. Anyway, I haven't been able to work on this or any other stories at all. That being said, Eli and Sora will have another month or two of shine before Jake returns with the final two arcs of Arkham Rising.
Onto this story. Eli is closed to hunting down the Mozgov Family members behind his father's murder and will learn more about the mystery guy who learned/revealed Army Ant's identity. A bit of a spoiler though, that guy will be the main villain for this story and is an OC who is literally the answer to most things that happen in New Camford. Barbara/Batgirl will play a role to Eli's character growth while (spoiler again!) Nightwing will eventually assemble some people to form a particular group.
Next chapter will definitely be a review corner for this story so if you have any questions, comments, or thoughts that you'd like to share, send a PM or review and I will respond them then. Ciao.