Author's Notes: So, I think it's time for a review corner for this story. Before that, I want to thank you guys for actually following and reading this story. As I said in the very first chapter, this story will touch on a lot of touchy things that most writers on this site (and the world) will try to avoid unless they want the publicity. Given today's age and the problems plaguing us all, I want you all to know that I thought about watering down a lot of this but chose not to for the legitimacy of this story. Eli's character will have a far darker tone than Jake's- even with the whole "Venom" thing- and Sora's. I'm typing this because I just received my new laptop (FINALLY!) and I have spent many nights re-typing the outlines for Arkham Rising, The Markings of a Hero, Sora Gaiden, and the finale for Jake Cross and, after reading some of the things (political...smh...) that takes place in Eli's story, they were pretty upset. I want to say this to anyone who reads this. Freedom of speech is not limited to saying things that people like to hear. That being said, there will be times when your opponent will sling mud your way. You can sink to those levels and throw mud back like our previous two presidential candidates or you can ignore them. This isn't a "Hillary should've won" kind of speech and it's not a "Make America Great Again" speech. And in truth, this has nothing to do with America. Eli's story will touch on some worldly frowned-upon issues and I'm giving this last warning that, if you are easily offended, please don't be that guy/girl who reads just to send a flame. Again, I can't tell you not to do it because it's your right, it's your freedom, but I will point out that you'll do nothing but get me closer to a 100 reviews. That's all. My outline is set. My story(s) will go on. Thank you for reading this message and let's go on to some happier, probably spoiling, times. Oh! If you want to skip all of that, scroll down to the title or simply pop up your find (CTRL + F) and type in "Insecticide". Please enjoy and I"ll see you at the bottom for some more- and good- news.
Guest on chapter 11 - It is understandable not to like the beginning three or so chapters of this story. The buildup is much different that Jake's stories which literally starts with the ending of a fight scene. The story becomes more darker as time goes on though not to the point of pure angst. Thanks for reading and hopefully these updates will come faster now that I have a laptop and an outline to work off of again.
Coldblue - Where to actually begin? Kidding. Firstly, hi again, thanks for the reviews. Secondly, Captain Red and any hero/heroine that Eli meets in New Camford won't have a set life expectancy. Of course I know if or when they will die but it won't be hinted in any chapter because I find it more realistic in that way. But oddly I like Captain Red, or at least typing him that is. The conflict between Nightwing and Hornet will actually become very key to the forming of a very special and important groups of teenagers... You know, when you're in trouble who do you call sort of group? But there won't be any physical confrontations between the two sadly. This is mostly due to the fact that Gotham City will be their shared grounds but they both are sole heroes (sort of) in their own cities Nightwing in Bludhaven and Hornet in New Camford. But Eli's issue with the Bat-fam is something to look forward to. On that note, Barbara and Eli's relationship will get very complicated. Something to remember is that Jim Gordon is Commissioner and Leila Nolan is a corporate lawyer protecting big companies. Their paths will cross, Eli and Barbara will cross each other the wrong way, and Hornet and Batgirl will cross each other. As for Jade/Cheshire, she and Eli will eventually go from friends to sort of frenemies to siblings who squabble often. She will always look to Eli as one of the heroes that she respects and he will, at points, look away when he knows that she's killing someone he is either too busy to "talk to" himself or knows is for the betterment of his city. The two will actually grow closer when a certain red-wearing archer makes his appearance.
On to Eli's character and the questions you have regarding him directly. Eli and Jade will "borrow" any weapons that are confiscated by the pair. It will sort of add a comical relief to the story with Eli constantly trying new weapons with Nick constantly worrying about his livelihood. His gadgets will also take a bump upwards due to some "borrowing" but also from others who willingly give it to him. Yes, Eli will grow to be a more hardened version of the typical hero as his city requires it. There will be times where he will ultimately choose to walk away to show that he's not heartless, he just makes the harder decisions that normal vigilantes (like Nightwing) refuse to make. Eli will eventually learn more of his mother's background, and by extension, adapt some of the Bialyan ways. Also, never forget that Khandaq statement Jade made a few chapters back. That will come to play in the next story (sorry!). You are right about one thing in your suggestions- Nightwing's relationship with Hornet will be similar to Batman's with Huntress. A lot of Eli's character growth will be influenced by those around him. I want to make it so that just about every character (good, bad, or neutral) will leave a "mark" on him. All in all, Eli's character growth will be shown in and out of his heroic costume.
Finally, there are two sequels to this story, a trilogy similar to Jake's. I won't reveal much about them but I will say that the second one will be called "Swarm" and it will definitely involve Bialya, an underground fight league, and an entire colony of "bees". The third is untitled but is currently going to be centered around... Well, I'll leave that as a surprise. I will say that the last main "villain" will make an appearance somewhere in this story. Just keep an eye out.
Foxfan88 - Hola amigo. Hornet will encounter several of other heroes, some real and others of my creation. As for Eli having his own Joker or Lex Luthor, Hornet will eventually adapt a "kill one, save millions" kind of mindset which pretty much eliminates a long-lasting villain. I won't say that he won't have people who constantly battles him- most will be heroes that find him to be dangerous. Though the main villain in this story will get pretty personal with Eli and have that Joker-feel to him without being a killer clown. I don't want to have Hornet fighting Batman only because that kind of repeats Jake's story a bit. Hornet will be a hero that Batman becomes reluctant to call upon but at some point they will have each other's respect. Remember, Eli is being trained by the Bronze Tiger, not necessarily Batman's best friend, right? Finally, Batgirl and Hornet will have an interesting talk in a few chapters to come so be on the look out. As always thanks for reading.
And done. Now for the long awaited chapter on the new laptop. Feels good just to say that! Here we go!
Chapter Warnings: The following chapter is rated T for Teen due to language, violence, and mentioning of underage rape.
The Markings of a Hero
Chapter Twelve: Insecticide Pt. I
Mallory Saunders was one who gave off an "older sister" vibe every time she was out with her cousin. She could not help it though. She was pitted with Eli since her cousin was born and, because of such, she had always been quite protective over her baby cousin- even if he was an inch taller than her now. The fact that she had a little sister via her dad and other cousins on her father's side was normally moot and disregarded by the young woman. To her, Eli was the little brother she never had and that was a fact solidified with the add-on that his father, her uncle, had stepped in as a father figure when her dad was too busy chasing younger women.
That being said, it was not completely strange for her to watch her cousin as he slept on her mother's couch. Despite being just a year older than him, Mallory felt so much older than him due to how many times she had seen his once fat cheek puff into a pout when things did not go his way- especially at her. They had their fights, verbal and physical, and they had their moments when she literally wanted to throw him off of an available roof.
But he was still her baby cousin.
She studied him for all of two minutes before his eyes suddenly snapped open as if he was going to spring up and choke the daylights out of her… And then he just calmly closed them with a sigh, a breath that caused Mallory to relax as well.
"Is there reason that you're just standing over me?" His hoarse voice dripped with annoyance that seemed to be reserved for her. That meant, he was not as annoyed as seeing his mother yet still quite ticked.
"What happened to your lip?" Mallory pointed out in a low tone to keep the others in the house asleep at the early hour.
Eli touched his upper lip. "Some stupid little bastard thought he'd play the Knock-out Game with me. Didn't work out too well for him."
"So said your fists," Mallory noted the bruised knuckles on his right hand, bruises he was apparently disregarding as she put her hands on her hips. "Oh Elias, what am I going to do with you? You can't go out and beat on kids even if they deserve it."
Eli snorted. "Keep telling yourself that."
"You can't," said Mallory as she moved his legs to sit on the couch. "Because then you'd be a bully and the world would hate you and all that."
"I don't care about how the world feels about me." Eli admitted as he sat up on the couch, groaning at his tired body's displeasure to the new position. "And the kid had it coming to him. Bitch punched me for a damn game and when I didn't go down, thought he was going to do it again."
Mallory rolled her eyes. "Seriously Jacks, you never change, do you?"
There was a moment, a brief one, that Mallory saw the physical representation of Eli and Leila. The moment Eli cut her a sideways glance that bordered on a hateful glare, she could see nothing but a male version of her aunt seated beside her. Eli's eye shape was not as rounded as Mallory or anyone else from the Jackson family line. He had the narrow Rassan eyes, just like his mother.
And just like that, he looked away with a sigh, leaning back against the couch.
"So what are you doing up at seven? After James learned to shit the bed without crying, I thought you slept in at night." Eli dryly joked, a small smile coming onto his face.
"First off dumbass, all babies know how to shit the bed and most do so without crying. Secondly, he's three now. He doesn't do that anymore." Mallory said before swatting her cousin on his shoulder. "And that's my son, asshole!"
Eli chuckled. "Sorry Mal."
"When you and that Jade chick have kids, remember that I won't be babysitting them." Now it was Eli who gave a lazy eye-roll.
"For the last time, there's nothing going on between me and Jade. She's a friend-"
"Mm-hmm," interrupted Mallory. "I've heard this before. And I still believe that one day, one day, you're going to be like 'oh Mal, I was so wrong. Jade's trying to suck my dick and I don't want to cheat on Barbara,' and I'll be like 'I told you so'!"
"Don't you think you need to prove me wrong about saying that you will never marry Bow Wow?" Eli teased.
Mallory smirked. "I still think I have a better chance than you and Beyoncé."
Eli just chuckled, closing his eyes as he did so. Now, he resembled his father- cool, calm, collected, and easy to approach. Most people would think that Eli and Malcolm were a bit unfriendly due to the way that they carried themselves or, in Malcolm's case, deep voice and large stature. That went double for Eli and his narrow-eyed glares.
"I took today off," Mallory announced. "So we can spend all day together, like we used to do."
"Don't you have a son that needs you? Don't be like your precious Aunt Leila." Eli returned, nearly spitting his mother's name. His eyes opened and cut to Mallory. "She won't be winning Greatest Mom of the Year anytime soon, I can vouch for that."
Mallory rolled her eyes with exasperation. "Jacks, I don't get you. You hate her when she's there. You hate her when she's not. Like damn, can the woman be happy?"
"She doesn't know what happy is." countered Eli. "She's a wreck, Mal. And this isn't me throwing my normal mom issues around. I can tell, you know? Like something is just off."
"Could it be her oldest son doing everything in his power to give her a giant 'fuck you' for everything she's done?" Mallory returned. Eli shrugged his shoulders. "You're here talking about how you worry about a woman you give hell on the daily. How in the hell do you expect her to react with you around her?"
Eli shook his head. "It's not that. It's like… I don't know. When we're outside and talking at night, it's like there's something she wants to tell me but she never does. And then I get mad, she gets made, and the next day, she reminds me that she's not apologizing for me getting mad."
"Aunt Leila is weird. Bialyans, I tell you…" Mallory stated.
"That's racist." commented Eli, only for his cousin to pinch his cheek.
"Aw! Did I hurt your wittle feewings?" Mallory cooed before Eli swatted her hand away. "Seriously Jacks, have you done any research on your mom's country? I did my senior paper on it last year and was quite surprise to know what they had to go through."
Eli scoffed. "Right, because America is filled with unicorns that fart rainbows and nothing bad happens here."
"No, that's not what I'm saying," Mallory continued. "All I'm saying is that, when Aunt Leila said that there was a difference between Bialyan problem and an American problem, she was right. Did you know women couldn't go to school there until the nineties? How in the hell did she even get a degree?"
"I'd care more if Afghanistan didn't have similar problems." Eli stated. Mallory opened her mouth. "I'm not an idiot, Mal. I know some of the problems in the Middle East."
"You just don't care, do you?" Mallory questioned, her lips thinned while shaking her head.
"No, and to be honest, I'm honest enough to admit it aloud." Eli, now with a little more anger, said. "No one normally gives a damn until someone dies. And then they put this terrible spin on it with sick children and dying old women… Truth be told, you can see all of that here- Gotham especially."
"Hey!" Mallory chastised.
"All I'm saying is," said Eli in a quieter tone. "When we have a 'national epidemic' it's normally something that's been going on for hundreds of years and we want to make ourselves look like some sort of heroes. Then we put this stupid idea in people's heads that they are our equals, knowing damn well that they aren't. And truth be told, I hate that."
Mallory was unsure how to respond. Eli had never been the political type of guy, sports being the only thing the guy watched informative/news programs. However, the teen mother could tell that something had changed within her cousin. He seemed angry, angrier than normal that is. And that was a scary thing.
"Equality is something we need to fight for." Mallory cautiously said. "Not just within our own country, but the world."
"You don't believe that." Eli responded.
Mallory glowered at her cousin. "And why don't I?"
"Because we strive to be better. That's what my mom taught us, remember? We work our asses off to be better. Not just better than blacks or whites, not just better than those near us, and not just better than everyone else. We strive to be better than ourselves." Eli said. "We're not victims Mal, we're survivors."
Mallory smiled at the words. "Aunt Leila used to tell us that every time we got a cut or bruise."
"And I sure as hell don't want to be treated like a victim or a charity case to make all of us even." stated Eli, his tone now calm. "I understand that there needs to be a bottom line to how we treat each other, but there's no way that I should be compared to you as a parent when you've done it while going to school and working. That wouldn't be fair to you."
"And, I guess, it wouldn't be right to say that we're equals as athletes because, you know, beauty doesn't sweat." Mallory teased. Eli again released a quiet laugh, one that made Mallory relax momentarily. "You know Eli, I think you miss the days when you were a momma's boy and you had someone other than your dad to go home to."
"Don't-"
"No, listen to me," Mallory said. "I know how aggravating she can be. I got in trouble with you, remember? But do you know what else I remember? When she bought me a bike days after Christmas."
Eli's brows creased. "What are you talking about?"
"You were four and Josh-"
"Your dad?" Eli taunted with a smirk.
"Him," Mallory continued. "He had promised me a bike for Christmas. He said that he had talked to Santa and everything. And like the delusional child that I was, I believed him." Mallory exhaled heavily. "And then Christmas came and I waited for that bike to show up all day and was hit with a heavy dose of reality."
"Santa isn't real?" Eli questioned.
"No! Everyone knows he exists!" Mallory jokingly shot back. "What I really learned is that Joshua is a liar; always has been and always will be. But it was sometime after New Years that year that Aunt Leila came down for some job thing or another and when she came to visit, she took me out and bought me a bike."
Eli clicked his tongue. "Of course she did."
"All I'm saying is, your mom, regardless of where she lives or who she sleeps with, is a lot more dependable than Joshua. I'm not saying you're an asshole for not giving her a chance, because you were one when you were a bratty little kid throwing Cheerios at me." Eli smirked at the memory. "But, you'd be just as bad as my dad if you walk out of her life like he did me."
Eli sat quietly which made Mallory believe that she had him beat. And then her cousin simply shook his head and spoke one simple line,
"I didn't leave her. She left me. Period."
Mallory gave up then and there. Not because she lost, oh she was far from losing this battle, but because it was early and she honestly did not want to start their day off with a serious argument. Eli loved Leila. That was something that Mallory did not debate or even doubt. But, Mallory knew when Eli felt guilty about something and attempted to put that guilt on someone else, and this was one of those times.
Eli watched as Mallory suddenly stood up, a smile on her face.
"C'mon little cousin, you're helping me with breakfast." Mallory quietly announced.
Eli frowned. "Since when did you learn to cook?" Mallory kicked his shin in response, gaining a pained laugh from him. "Damn Mal! I thought you said you didn't play sports!"
Mallory smiled. "It's good to have you back Jacks."
"Anytime Mal." Eli replied with a smile of his own.
Batman's preparation was something that everyone noted. The man seemed to just know what to expect at every moment of the day. Yet, even though people knew of his readiness they did not know just how ready Batman was until he seemingly planned something years in advance and set event happened as he predicted.
It was literally the scariest thing about the man.
However, there were pros to this scary ability, such as the one Richard was currently using. In Bludhaven, the city the teenager was slowly coming to grasp as his new home, Bruce had set up a remote Batcave for reasons that Richard (as Robin) could not understand. It was hard to be Gotham's hero when he was saving the city to the south of it. Now Richard was pleased that he had his own personal cave, for the moment, and that he could work without having Bruce or Alfred over his shoulder twenty-four seven.
Richard sighed as he looked at the files that he had opened. All of them were what he could find surrounding the death of the Army Ant. Obviously, without knowing the man's real name- which was somehow quite impossible to find out- Richard could not just search the man and the day he died. Instead, the acrobat found a few articles that spoke on the Army Ant's death in hopes that it would shed light to the puzzling question: What was Army Ant to the Hornet?
That was a powerful question for many reasons. Richard knew that if he could figure that out then he could, not only work with the Yellow Jacket of New Camford better, but also understand the obvious grudge between Hornet and the Mozgov and Sullivan families.
Unfortunately, that would be easier if Richard knew just who Army Ant really was.
Sighing, Richard clicked an article from NexSquire Magazine, a popular news and entertainment publication in the New Ivy Metro area. It read:
Two weeks ago, New Camford lost another one of its heroes, this time in the form of the Army Ant. The hero was known for being in Downtown New Camford, more times than not helping those in need in when he came by, and was stated to being one of the "friendlier vigilantes'. Due to Connecticut's Vigilante Masked Death Act (the state's only law pro-vigilantism), I am not at liberty to reveal just who this apparent friendly vigilante was beneath the mask. Though, I must say, after hearing about him, I can say that Army Ant was indeed one of the good ones.
Richard's lips twisted as he quickly looked up the Vigilante Masked Death Act. Apparently, in the state of Connecticut, if vigilante (hero or criminal) were to be killed while considered "on vigilante duties" than the state must get permission from a next of kin to reveal said vigilante's personal records to the public and the death report is sealed. It is also known as the Terryl Darby Law due to the fact that Terryl Darby, one of the numerous men who became a hooded vigilante in the city, was killed after attempting to stop a gang fight and the gang members- who have all been listed as "gang affair" and thus falls outside of the Darby Law- went after his family members after their leader was arrested. Richard could understand why such a law existed but it really hindered his search.
The teen skimmed the article for more information as he continued to make a valid attempt on putting the Hornet and Army Ant together.
I tried to speak to those who knew Army Ant the best but those interviews were cut short for various reasons. I did, however, find a few who was able to share their thoughts on the man who attempted to make his city a safer place. Coincidentally, that man was another hero of the city that went by the name Captain Red.
"Army Ant was a true hero and a greater friend!" the Canadian born (or so he told me) boasted with a huge grin. "He has been able to provide help to me at the most critical moments! The city was lucky to have him!"
Now Richard rolled his eyes. "This guy…"
Other citizens who had been saved by the deceased or just watched him in action said similar things. They said how he would sometimes approach a problem almost like a cop and attempt to dissolve a bad situation with words first and actions second. I was told that very seldom has those he has taken down seen a hospital for more than a few bumps and scrapes, being one of the gentler crime-fighters in the city.
I had a hard time believing that after seeing the size of the man.
Richard released another heavy breath of annoyance and skimmed the rest of the article. He was seconds away from closing it before his blue eyes tripped over a few words that made him backtrack.
…a game said to be played. The citizen requested to stay anonymous in this story but said that the "game" was started when a hero "answered the call". When I questioned the citizen how she knew and how it related to the Army Ant, she answered that her brother was once a hero in New Camford and he had "answer the call" before dying later to what seemed like a drug bust gone south. She also went on by stating that the Army Ant's death was very similar to her brother's, from the location to the style of the murder. She gave a warning that "the call of heroism" was best ignored in her city.
This has been my fourth time covering the death of a hero in New Camford, the third since the year began. I have no idea if there is a "game" being played by some mysterious unknown force or if people are just plain unlucky. The one thing I do know is a phrase that seemingly stems from the neighborhood known as Rhodes.
Don't be a hero in New Camford. They do not live long. Army Ant is a testament of that.
Richard's face slowly contorted into a frown. While the article provided very little information about the Army Ant's personal life thanks to the Terryl Darby Law, it did shed some light on the Army Ant's death. The man was murdered in front of people by a hit-man- the Hound he assumed- and that was that. But there was now another piece to this mystery. If there was a "game" being played by some outside force then the Army Ant's death was not only predetermined but carried out by someone higher up than the Mozgov or Sullivan families. Richard knew for a fact that they were not necessarily the smartest or most dangerous groups out there.
The teen brushed his black hair back with a hand. There was probably some conspirator in New Camford going around killing heroes. If that was the case then Hornet, Captain Red, and the other heroes were in serious danger. And it was a danger that outweighed the burning question of who the Army Ant was to the Yellow Jacket.
It was then that Richard thought of something else that the Hornet said earlier. His fingers glided over the keyboard, typing in one name he did know.
Earl Clifford.
This was different. For starters, there were no laws in Delaware that protected heroes like the Vigilante Masked Death Act. Earl's files were public. Secondly, the information was near complete- or as complete as it could be. And the more Richard read, the angrier he became. The pictures did nothing to halter or stop his fuse either. A kid, an innocent kid, was murdered by Tobias Whale and hung on a basketball hoop on display like a stuffed deer above a mantle. It was disgusting to say the least.
And now…
Richard leaned back in his chair. Now he understood what angered the Hornet so much, or at least he thought he did. Tobias Whale would walk away from his crime, even if Black Lightning had attempted to take him down earlier. The Army Ant's murder could never be fully investigated due to the law hindering anyone outside of law enforcement to get involve. There were families out there that would never get the answers that they were looking for, for one reason or another.
"Oh boy…" Richard stated as he glanced back up at the picture of Earl's deceased body. "Maybe you're right… Tobias deserves to go down. But…"
Richard could not bring himself to even believe that someone deserved to die, Tobias Whale or not. Hornet may not see that but human life, no matter how bad the person was, was a precious thing. It was not up for Richard or any other person to take said life away, regardless of what the law stated.
Though the topic caused Richard to do more research, this time of Hornet's activities and those the guy actually saved. The first was one that caught the young hero's eye.
The story was quite interesting. Two kids, ages seven and four, had been missing for two months within the city. According to reports, the children had been physically beaten and raped by three men, two brothers and a friend of theirs, before Hornet arrived. None of the men lived to tell the tale and in the end, the parents of the children (who were originally from Hub City) were contacted. The arriving officer described the killings of the men apparently quick and painless, gun shots through the heads and chests, but stated that Hornet stayed with the kids until the police arrived. Afterwards, the gunman apparently detailed how the children were separated from their parents at the beach, taken by the men, and what they endured, before leaving the scene altogether.
The last Grayson stood up from the computer, closing out the files that were up just in case Bruce came to find out what he was looking at. His mind had been made up on the Yellow Jacket of New Camford. Despite their difference in opinions and how they should approach certain situations, Hornet apparently cared for the safety of the people, as did Nightwing. And because of that one simple fact, Richard was more than confident enough to work with the mysterious gunman in taking down Tobias Whale.
Earl Clifford's and Army Ant's voices would not die just because they did. Justice would be served either through Nightwing taking them down or Hornet taking them out.
Hopefully it was the former…
Eli was not a fan of Mallory's over-protectiveness and her stubbornness, even though he could be blamed for both of those character attributes himself. He had to get to Jade's hotel room to look up information on the Hound. Instead, he was being hounded by his older cousin who had nothing better to do that day than be his personal tour guide of Gotham City.
The pair was currently at Mallory's apartment after returning from a walk to the nearby corner store where they purchased some chips and soda to bring home. It was the first time since the morning that Mallory had taken her eyes off of Eli, the teen mother now more focused on her son munching on Doritos at the small dining table.
"Chew with your mouth closed." Mallory said for the third time.
Eli smiled. Mallory did not use the same firmness in her voice on James that Leila used when correcting Eli. But that did not mean that his cousin was not as observant as his mom was. Mallory saw everything James did even when she was not looking at him.
"You did the same thing," Mallory's mother, Carla Jackson, said as she walked through the living room towards the kitchen, passing her grandson on the way.
"And you corrected me so I'm just continuing the lineage." Mallory replied.
Carla only scoffed softly. The woman had a darker skin tone than her daughter, as most of the Jackson family bar Eli and Mallory did. Eli's aunt kept her thick dark hair in dreadlocks, a key physical feature of her that had remained since her mid-teens. The woman was still in shape, her arms and legs displaying the former basketball and track athlete that she was in high school.
"So what have you two done that I will most likely hear when the cops show?" Carla joked as she washed her hands in the sink.
Mallory rolled her eyes. "Absolutely nothing. Jacks is still in his little mood and I wouldn't allow him to beat the guys staring at us at the store."
"You are your father's son alright…" Eli heard the quiet comment from his aunt and ignored it for a sip of his Pepsi. Instead, he chose to change the subject altogether.
"You never talked about Mama's roommate, Maria. Why?" asked Eli.
Carla turned to him with a smile. "Maria and I stopped talking a few years back. She's married some rich guy in Bristol and doesn't come down into the city much. I bet she still parties like she's back in college."
"She said that she tried to get Mama to the club a lot." Eli's words were met by a laugh from his aunt.
"She did more than try!" laughed Carla. "You don't know how many times she and I took your mom- who barely spoke English by the way- to a club in Bludhaven and use her to get free drinks! All the guys were so sprung over Leila and when she learned how things worked, she never trusted us at a bar again."
Eli smiled. That sounded like his mother. And after meeting the woman, he could picture Maria doing something like that in order to have a memorable, or at least fun, night.
Carla calmed down. "Your dad hated us for that too. He wouldn't let Lee out of his sight when she was around us."
"Maria said that Mama smoked." Eli competently lied.
"Aunt Leila smokes?" choked out Mallory.
"She did. She stopped after Miles came back from the army." stated Carla. "I take it that you're still giving her a hard time. I wish I could get you to stop but you are Lee's son and you'll do whatever it is you want to, no matter what I, or anyone else, says. I just hope you realize that you see how lucky you are."
Eli scoffed quietly. "How lucky am I? My dad gets killed playing hero and I'm stuck with a woman who attempted to walk out of my life. Doesn't sound very lucky to me."
"Well, I'm not going to sit here and list all the reasons you should be. If you want to be miserable, Eli, no one is going to stop you from being so." Carla stated. "Just know that I think you're being stupid. That's all."
"There's more to it than what-"
"You're being stupid. That is all Eli." Carla stated with more force in her voice. "Drop the conversation, now."
Eli bit the insides of his cheeks, glaring elsewhere. He found it funny how people always got on him for his problems with Leila when, in fact, it was her that left him in the first place. She left Malcolm for Robert and thought that she could buy Eli's love and affection. She was the one that always thought that every time she returned to the apartment nothing would change and that she could still boss Eli and his dad around as if she ran the place. And she sure as hell was the one starting these weird meetings that they have come accustomed to at nights.
After a minute of nothing but tension and silence, Eli rose and quickly left the apartment. Neither Carla nor Mallory attempted to stop him. It was obvious that the boy was still sore about his parents' split, even if it has been ten years since it happened. They understood though. Eli was quite attached to his mother up until that point.
"You know he's kind of right, don't you?" Mallory quietly said to her mom, who gave her a warning glare. "Aunt Leila may be in his life, but she's not in his life like she was. And he misses that. It's kind of like me and Joshua."
"Your dad?" mused Carla.
"Him," Mallory stated. "It hurts to realize that you put your hope in a false hero."
"I understand his feelings but that does not give him any reason to disrespect Leila." argued Carla. "If Leila wanted to leave Eli, or Miles for that matter, it would have been a lot easier for her to kick them out of her apartment instead of moving into a new house."
Mallory shrugged. "Depends. Her new husband had a nicer place. Why keep a stupid apartment?"
Carla sighed. "In another world, whatever got in-between Miles and Lee never existed. But the truth is that they kept things from me- he being some vigilante is one. Eli's problem isn't that they split, it's because he thinks he's alone and he's not."
"Well… He does come home to an empty apartment. Unless he's sneaking friends over in which I wouldn't know anything about that." Mallory said, the last part being said at a faster rate.
"So long as Leila Rassan breathes, that boy is never alone." said Carla. "She wouldn't have put that much attention into making him a female version of herself if she was just going to leave him alone." Carla turned her gaze upwards. "Lord knows that she succeeded."
"Ain't that the truth…" Mallory commented.
Jade was unsure what had put Eli in such a bad mood. Her normal guess was his mom, who was miles away in a different city. There were times that he was unhappy about how some girl named Brittany was being treated at the center he worked at. And, of course, there was the periodic gangster who got in the way of the business-always Yellow Jacket that could piss the teen off.
But none of those things had happened or could have had any effect on him, sans his mother who could have called.
"Are you going to stare?" Eli questioned from the unused bed in Jade's hotel room. He was seated against the headboard flushed against the wall, his laptop in his lap, a notebook on the bed to the right of him, and his brown eyes on Jade.
Jade shrugged her shoulders. "I figured that my first time alone in a hotel room with a really attractive guy would be somewhat… Memorable."
"Male prostitution is a thing. Maybe you could find one and pay him?" It was a rare thing for Eli to return a joke like that when he was working, an event that Jade was going to prolong.
"A threesome? Well isn't Barbara lucky to have such an outgoing boyfriend?" she joked.
Eli returned back to his work with a smile on his face. Jade just watched while lying on her side, facing him completely. She was curious about him to say the least. There was nothing physically extraordinary about Elias Jackson. Not to say that he was not handsome, which she found him above average in that department, but there was nothing physically that made him stand out in a crowd. Instead she found him to be intellectually cryptic and logically sound. He game planned a lot and took time to reason things in his head, even while on the move. She had literally seen him jump into a fray of men and take them out without a visible thought to save some children he did not know and then very slowly plot out how he was going to stop one of Whale's weapons delivery from being made.
Jade shifted a bit, her green eyes never moving from her target like a cat waiting for its mouse prey to poke its head out of a hole. Eli was not the best-looking guy she had met. He was not the tallest or most physically fit guy either. And while he was not the smartest guy either, his ability to spot the little details and build a case from there was pretty damn impressive for a guy in his rookie year in the vigilante line of work. Hell, it had impressed Ben.
Plus, Eli was a wizard and playing darts.
"I found him." Eli suddenly said. Jade cocked a brow at him, questioning who he had found. "The Hound. Goes to a bar in the Narrows."
Jade's lips pursed. "Like the Gotham Narrows or the Bludhaven Narrows?"
"Gotham," answered Eli. Jade released a groan. "What?"
"You do know that they have a problem with, not only outsiders, but heroes such as yourself, right? If you're going to go there, you're going to need back-up." Jade pointed out. "And I don't feel like being shot at for the sake of your family vengeance."
Eli gazed at Jade. "Nightwing's in town."
"And how do you know?" Jade asked.
"He went to the hideout that I hit after I left. Statements from the police reports." explained Eli. "If he's following me then he's bound to go into the Narrows with me."
Jade shook her head. "You've been there before haven't you? There's no way you think you can just waltz in there and shoot up the place." Eli gave her a leveled look that challenged her last statement. "Okay, okay, even if you could, you do know what it'll do right? Cops, clean and dirty, will be after you."
"I know." Now Jade sat up at his words. "When I went to their set-up, I found out that there was an officer there, Whale's stooge. The guy didn't look like much. I just need a few seconds with him and I'll learn more. I know it."
"I have to find out some information for Ben. You could help me with my job and I'll help you with yours." Jade offered.
"What or who are you looking for?"
Jade lied onto her back. "Information. A woman known as Carolyn Wu-San has been missing. Ben thinks she's dead, which would unleash hell if her sister finds out." Jade watched Eli's fingers glide over the keys of his laptop, his intense stare going onto the screen. "What's wrong?"
"She lived New York. Traveled to New Camford and Gotham City." Eli then looked at Jade. "Is that what you two are doing in New Camford? Searching for…" The boy's correct assumptions were interrupted by his cell's buzzing vibrations. "Damn it."
Jade said nothing as Eli answered his phone; he apparently not pleased with who was on the other line. He spoke quietly in a harsh tone before hanging up altogether. If Jade had anything better to do at the moment, she probably would not care. Unfortunately, she was stuck trying to figure out what in the hell just transpired.
"There's a group called the Ghost Dragons. From what I can tell, that's where you should start your search." Eli commented calmly.
Jade frowned. "And how in the hell did you figure that out so quickly?"
"Carolyn Wu-San was apparently a contact for some organization, G.O.O.D? They were working on a case against the Ghost Dragons. If she's gone missing then we start there." Eli confirmed, slowly bringing his eyes up to meet Jade's surprised look. "What?"
"What computer program are you using? There's no way you should be able to know that!" Jade voiced.
"Carolyn Wu-San is a legal alien who was arrested twice, once in New York assault and the second for a domestic case in Gotham. The government does most of the tracking. You just have to track them." Eli stated before turning the laptop to Jade, she seeing a picture of Carolyn. "They tried to tie her to a killer known as Lady Shiva. They don't have much on Shiva but Carolyn was here and was arrested with two members of the Ghost Dragons. She was bailed by G.O.O.D and that was it."
And this is what Jade meant. The boy was resourceful and scary witty when push came to shove. He had just figured out that Carolyn worked for an agency outside the U.S government while it took Ben explaining this to her months ago.
Jade then sat up straight on her bed. "Well, I guess I'll check out the people I was already going to see. Thanks for the tip."
"No problem. Though, from what I can tell, you're going to need some help. These guys aren't SRC grade. They're worse." Eli pointed out.
"Meet me back here later on and I'll tell you how I lived if you tell me how you did." stated Jade with a smile. "Just don't die. I'm having fun watching you 'not be a hero' and all."
Eli shook his head. "One day I'll understand your weird sense of humor."
"Likewise Jackson," Jade returned as she got out of the bed. She then strolled towards the bathroom. "Want to change together?"
"No." Jade laughed as she entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. "Women…"
Eli never knew what the deal was with vigilantes and rooftops. Before he became Hornet, he thought it was rather a waste of energy to always have to travel via rooftop or a motor vehicle. Now that he was perched on a gargoyle looking down at Gotham City, he got it.
It was fast.
It was convenient.
And it was peaceful.
From his vantage point, he could see the bridge that led to the small island known as the Gotham Narrows. The island, one of six that made Gotham City, was noticeably the smallest and a place that his parents had never taken him to. His only time on the island was doing a time he and Mallory snuck out, a time that they actually regretted. Now he was going there to find the man responsible for his father's death on this small island.
Now he had to get on the island without being seen.
Eli scanned the roads. He would most likely have to hitch a ride onto a truck, which was not his favorable idea. But he knew that once he crossed into the Narrows, the security of the rooftops were no more. The people there checked everywhere.
"Help me!"
Eli grunted at the indistinctive, and loud, scream that turned his attention. This happened in New Camford more than enough times to irritate him. He had no real want or desire to save pedestrians on a day-to-day basis. He had a mission to do. Saving a life really did not fit in with his plan for vengeance…
But he already had a heavy conscience about donning this suit on and doing what he did in such a little time. Saving a life would ease that conscience.
Now he had to get down there…
"I hate this job." Eli mumbled to himself as he scanned the area, using his goggles to zoom in and out to find the disturbance.
Unable to spot it right away, the teen climbed onto the old building to get a better look. Searching for problems got easier with time. While the goggles covering his eyes could give him x-ray or night vision depending on whichever he chose, it could not just outright locate domestic problems. He had to see if it could spot a disturbance, like a misplaced number in a pattern, without being seen or heard. Jade was much better at this than he was, then again, Jade was also the causer of a lot of problems as well.
Of course, the solver of all problems was a simple solution: Get closer. Yeah, that was the simple answer Ben had given him. That meant that he would have to leap off of one building, freefall several of yards downwards, roll onto another roof (if he did it properly mind you), get up, and search again.
"I really hate this job." Eli muttered as he built up a run to do just as he had thought.
The jump never scared him; he was quite an active child after all. It was just the time between the lands that fed his anxiety. Maybe it was his lack of patience or his fear that someday he would miss his mark, but he hated the times between a jump and a landing when traversing from a higher perch to a lower on.
Feet hitting cement, Hornet rolled to successfully carry the momentum and energy with him before hitting his feet and running towards the edge of the second building. The second jump occurred afterwards, this one to a building of equal hate. This allowed Eli to slow his tempo to a complete halt and listen.
"Don't try me! I will kill her!"
Eli came to the westernmost side of the aged apartment building he was on and looked down onto the scene below. There in an alleyway was a man holding a woman at knifepoint, two GCPD cops walking him down.
"Okay, okay," one of the officers said. "Put the knife down and return the money. We don't want to hurt you."
Hornet studied the situation. The knife-wielding man had duffle bag straps thrown over his left shoulder whilst holding the knife with his right hand. The cops had their weapons trained on the man's position, obviously not caring if the woman lived or died. As Eli adjusted the vision on his goggles so he was not just seeing body heat, he heard the apparent thief make a statement.
"Just let me go, alright! I don't want to kill her- but I'll do it! I swear to God I'll slit her throat here and now!" the man called out, unbeknownst to the Yellow Jacket making his move. "Put your guns down now!"
"Look, this doesn't end well for you at all." The second officer bellowed. "You're either going to jail or in the ground! Let the woman go! Or we'll shoot!"
"Oh yeah? Why don't you shoot then!" The knifeman was not backing down. He had too much riding on this job and he was not going to be stopped by the two officers.
The second officer, a well-toned middle-aged man stepped forward, gun aimed at the thief and his captive.
"I'm getting sick of little shits like you! Put the knife down or I swear to God I'm going to fire a bullet straight through your goddamn brain!" the officer bellowed.
The greasy-appearing thief grunted. "You can't do that! You're a cop! Your cam is on!"
"You have to the count of one! Five!"
Eli closed his eyes. He was no stranger to hearing about cops killing and being killed on the news. Yet he had never experienced it until now. Or rather, he would experience it now if he did not make a move.
"Four!"
Worse, Eli knew exactly how this would make him look like. The people of New Camford were already a little wishy-washy over a masked man running around beating and shooting people, regardless of the crimes that they committed. Now he would be fighting off cops.
"Three!"
And he had to stop the thief from slicing the woman's neck and/or running off with whatever he had stolen in the bag.
"Two!"
Damn this job to hell…
It happened before "one" was ever uttered. The younger rookie cop looked amazed as the Yellow Jacket seemingly pounced from the heavens onto his senior partner, knocking the gun out of his hand. A shot went off but missed both the woman and her captor completely, thankfully. Eli was forced to kick the gun away from the knocked down policeman before any harm could be sent his way.
"Stay down," Hornet growled to the downed cop before turning his masked face towards the standing younger officer. "Put your gun down."
"Uh… Um… Y-Yes sir."
"What're you doing!" the downed officer called to his partner. "This is the Yellow Jacket! Shoot him! Shoot him!"
"Gun down, now." ordered the Yellow Jacket. The younger officer threw his gun down and held his hands up, not wanting to meet the same fate as the men at the warehouse the previous night. Hornet then looked at the thief. "Let the woman go."
"What? No! You'll just kill me!" the thief argued.
"I'll kill you either way," responded the irritated vigilante. "If you release her, you live. If she's cut, I will drop you where you stand."
It was a bit dramatic but Eli knew the message was met. The thief's brown eyes wavered between the officer that was standing and Hornet with rapid succession. The small whispers about the notorious Yellow Jacket were growing and people were starting to understand what he was about. Either way, his no BS attitude was one that a growing number was beginning to learn.
"No guns," the thief said.
"None." Hornet answered. "Let her go."
With a shove, the woman stumbled forward with a shriek. Eli kept his eyes on the thief with his fingers prepping his next move, his mind taking aim.
"There," the thief stated. "Now what?"
Faster than any of them could speak, Eli's right hand shot out, wrist flinging a dart directly at the thief. It secured a spot in his left shoulder. Hornet watched his opponent pull the dart out before taking a stumbling step sideways and collapsing onto his knees.
"Wha… What did….?" The thief hit the ground before his question could be asked.
"What is your name?" Eli asked to the younger cop.
"Jensen. Officer Jensen." The man replied.
Hornet quickly struck the rising officer with a kick to his face, knocking him back down. When the once threatening policeman had hit the ground again, this time on his back, Yellow Jacket pointed towards Officer Jensen.
"Cuff your thief," Hornet directed as he made sure that the downed officer was unconscious from the kick. "And let your commanding officer know why I did this. You're here to protect the innocent, not sacrifice them."
Officer Jensen said nothing as the Yellow Jacket rolled his senior partner (Officer Marx) onto his back and zip-tied his wrists together. He stood frozen with the thoughts that the Yellow Jacket was a wanted murderer and he, during his first month on the job, had a chance to take him in. However, as soon as Officer Marx was done, the Yellow Jacket gave the woman a look over his shoulder, raised his left hand, and slammed something into the ground. A bright flashing light blinded them with a cloud of smoke forcing them to keep their eyes closed for an extra few seconds.
When the smoke and light cleared, the Yellow Jacket was nowhere to be seen and the thief had been handcuffed with Officer Marx's cuffs.
"Holy shit…" the woman muttered.
Officer Jensen swallowed loudly. "Yeah… Holy shit…"
Eli was, if nothing else, a resourceful guy when push came to shove. He knew that without a vehicle, crossing the bridge into the Gotham Narrows would be harder if he was spotted a mile away. And wearing a trademark yellow jacket in July was a great way to be spotted.
…Unless the jacket could be flipped inside out and worn with different colors. The costume that was meant for Trent came with a reversible jacket with inverse colors meaning that Eli could walk into the Narrows with a black jacket with a yellow stripe that ran down the back of his sleeves. From there, he removed and pocketed his mask and walked across the bridge.
It sounded too easy right?
But it was that easy. There were not a lot of things that Eli remembered about the Narrows. Dialects, gangs, stores, and locations were among those things that he could not recollect off the top of his brain. The only thing that did stand out was that people in the Gotham Narrows dressed differently. Wearing a jacket in July and pants were just the disguise one needed to get inside the Gotham Narrows.
Then the not-so easy part came. This is when he had to find a secluded spot to change his coat back and replace his mask. The only problem there was that every secluded spot that he could find was being used for gambling, drug deals, or prostitution. And not just the soliciting part of the prostitution, oh no, he had walked in on the actual "servicing" part.
Now some fat rugged man and a topless prostitution were lying unconscious in an alleyway after Eli took the space for himself and interrupted their deal.
"I thought you'd be here sooner or later."
Eli was not surprised that Nightwing had somehow beaten him to the bar. The old rundown tavern was in need of some proper maintenance, something Eli figured once he landed on the roof. Nightwing was already there with another vigilante Eli had yet met.
"Hornet, allow me to introduce to you Gotham's own, Batgirl." Nightwing introduced. "Batgirl, the Yellow Jacket."
Batgirl smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"…" Eli ignored her and looked at Nightwing. "Why are you here?"
Nightwing shrugged. "Just doing my job. And apparently that means that we're looking for the same guy, the Hound."
"The Hound has no connections with Tobias Whale, just the Mozgov and Sullivan families. He's not apart of the deal." responded Hornet. "So you're either here to stop me or to help me."
"We can't let you kill him. You've already done enough of that." commented Batgirl, still a little annoyed by the Hornet's lack of social etiquette. "I don't know what you do in New Camford but-"
"I've heard that before. I don't need to hear it again." The monotone computerized voice caused Batgirl to seethe quietly as the Yellow Jacket addressed Nightwing again. "If you get in my way, you know what'll happen."
Nightwing held a hand up. "I can't let you do this. It won't give you the answers you're looking for." Beneath his mask, Eli grimaced. "Listen, I looked up information on the Army Ant and something popped up. Something about a 'gamer' in New Camford. I don't know much so I thought that maybe you did. He or she is the one you should be after not-"
Eli was not someone who believed in total coincidences. There was a reason that his dad chased after his mom. There was a reason that his dad died. So when the building across the street from them suddenly burst into flames he was not as visibly shocked as Batgirl appeared. If anything, he was angry that it had happened- that it was planned to happen.
A laugh caught their attention as Firefly zoomed by, flamethrower in hand.
"Firefly," Batgirl and Nightwing growled.
"There're people still in that building," Hornet voiced, using the X-ray vision on his goggles to see through the spreading flames. "If you're going to save them then-"
"We're going to save them. Kelley will have to wait," Nightwing interrupted. "I know about those kids that were kidnapped. They deserve to know that the guy that saved them isn't a killer asshole."
Eli huffed slowly and deeply. He absolutely hated this job, especially when saving those who he did not know- those who deserved it or not- came in-between getting the answers he needed to quit said job. But he knew Nightwing was right, if only just. He had a duty to save the people in that building and then track down Firefly to beat the living hell out of him.
And then he'd beat the Hound twice as hard for the delay.
Hornet did not even attempt to strategize with the two Gothamites present. He pointed his arms towards the building and fired both grappling hooks ahead, hitting the bricks on either sides of a window. Without so much as a word, the Yellow Jacket reeled himself towards the window, crashing and rolling into the small cheap apartment.
"Aah!" a young girl screamed at the sight of the hooded vigilante who was reeling the rest of the wire back into his gauntlets.
"Don't worry," Eli said, though he knew his voice-changer was not easing the young girl's fear at all. He stood and removed his hood, staring down at her through his goggles. "I'm going to get you out of here."
From what he could assume, the building had six, maybe seven floors. The fire seemed to stem from the top floors which mean that his designation, the third, should be clear. He had no idea how long that would fact remain true so he had to move fast.
"Come on," Eli instructed, the little girl following him out of, what appeared to be, her bedroom. "Is there anyone here with you?"
"My mommy went to sleep on the couch." the girl announced.
Given the size of the small apartment, it was not long before Eli saw the woman's mother "sleeping" on the couch. He groaned at the sight of the beer bottles lying on the floor and the heavy stench of alcohol. The woman looked young- maybe a year or two older than Eli- and thin, meaning that he could, if needed, carry her.
"Up," Hornet said shaking the woman. "Get up!"
"Hnn, hmm…" The Yellow Jacket's fists balled up momentarily before he practically shoveled his hands between the woman's body and the brown sofa cushions and hoisted her into his arms. "Woo!"
"Come on kid. We need to leave." Eli said as he nodded his head to the door. "Open the door."
"'kay!"
It was then that Eli heard the panic outside the room. Once the door was opened, he could see them all scrambling down the stairs to get out. He looked at the girl who had yet release the door knob and carefully squatted.
"Think you can hop on my back?" he asked her as nicely as the choice-changer allowed.
With a smile and a nod, the girl did just that. Eli released a small grunt as he stood up slowly. Apparently Ben's workouts have been paying off, he mused as he carefully migrated into the crowd. As nimble as one could in his predicament, he traversed down the flights of steps, dodging those too fast to stay behind him or too slow to stay in front of him. But he was eventually led through the front doors of the building where he carried the woman and child across the street and sat them down gently on the sidewalk.
"Hey! Isn't that him?"
"It's the motherfuckin' Yellow Jacket!"
"Camford's Killa Bee!"
Hornet, Eli thought to himself as he marched back towards the building, was it so damn hard to say Hornet?
Fighting through the remainder of the crowd rushing to leave the building, Eli found himself with lesser patience than he began with. Firefly had set this up, he knew that, but for what reason(s)? Did this have anything do with Eli tracking down the Hound? Or was this Nightwing or Batgirl related? And why was Firefly helping the Hound?
…And who called him Camford's Killer Bee? That was just stupid.
His shoulders continued to ping-pong off of those rushing by him as he climbed the steps. His goggles were still in X-ray, seeing nothing more than a skeletons move by him. Despite his mind attempting to figure out what the hell was Firefly's deal, he continued his climb upwards. Subconsciously he looked into rooms to see if there were any bodies that he could pick up that had yet attempted to escape.
Then a gunshot caused him to momentarily freeze.
Great…
Racing up the steps now, Eli tried to find out where the shot came from and soon came to the problem.
"Hornet!" Nightwing called, his back against the wall next to an open door. On the opposite side of the door was Batgirl in a similar position. "Three gunmen!"
"Don't kill them though!" Batgirl's command caused Hornet to hesitate.
Hornet looked through the walls. He could see the bodies trained on the open door, prepared to completely annihilate anything or anyone that remotely looked like a hero. These sorts of situations were things that Nick explained thoroughly to Eli just as Malcolm stressed to Trent. He had to be tactical. He had to be patient. And he had to hit with precision.
Eli gripped one of his smoke grenades, running his fingers over the sides of them to feel the small bumps that separated them from the all smooth spheres that were his flash grenades. He tossed the grenades into the room, counted to three, and then dove inside leaving Batgirl and Nightwing outside.
"You know," Batgirl whispered, her arms crossed. "We could've just done that ourselves."
Nightwing shrugged. "Yeah I know. But you wanted to know how well he moves so I figured this was the best way. Not like we can just put Batman's training simulators in a burning building."
"Shit man! Get out of here!"
"He's got Slim!"
"Fuck him! Go!"
Batgirl and Nightwing watched two teens rush out of the room, making a beeline for the stairs. The redhead saw the rather smug proud look that Nightwing had on his face, as if he had coached Hornet through this victory until the third teen came out. The third and thinnest member- making his nickname "Slim make sense- was bleeding profusely from his nose as he stumbled out.
"He… He's crazy!" Slim called out as he stumbled for the stairs. "Wait until… I call my lawyer!"
Hornet calmly walked out of the room, fixing his gloves while aiming a heated stare at Nightwing.
"They were out of ammo." stated Hornet. "Why didn't you tell me that?"
"You're in Gotham now. Let's see if you can survive down here." Nightwing remarked.
Eli's eyes narrowed at Nightwing from behind his goggles. He thought about shooting the hero in black and blue, only disregarding said thoughts as they had a bigger picture to complete first. The Hound had to be found and then Firefly. Hornet had no business no real business with Firefly, despite wanting to beat the hell out of him. Firefly was a distraction and the Hound was the target.
"Hornet," Nightwing called him out of his thoughts. "There're more people in here. We need to get them to safety."
"And then…" the Yellow Jacket egged on.
"And then we go after Firefly," said Nightwing. Knowing an argument was coming, the former circus star held up a hand. "If you help us with Firefly, Hound is yours on one condition: He lives."
Of course, a burning building was not the place to hold a full-length conversation on why the man that murdered his father should live or not. That was the only reason Eli found himself nodding to the stipulations. But Eli was not okay with the Hound walking away from this.
Batgirl bristled. "We need to move. People are still in danger."
"Fine," Hornet said.
"Then let's go do our jobs." Nightwing gave the calm order. "Remember, we still have to get out of the Narrows."
The three of them released a similar sigh. Today was going to be a long day.
Author's Notes: Okay, nothing major here, just setting up for the next, and rightfully titled, chapter. Some more background about Leila's relationship with Miles will be revealed as well as some Eli and Barbara time- and not just Hornet and Batgirl. The revelation of the main villain of this story is near as well as Ben's and Jade's separate missions. As always, thanks for reading and if you have any questions, thoughts, or comments, leave a review or PM and I will answer them in the next review corner. Ciao.