Chapter Warnings: The following chapter has mild language, use of the "N" word, and violence and is rated T for Teen.
The Markings of a Hero
Chapter Fourteen: The Best Told Lies
Eli hissed in pain as something aggravated his wound on his leftknee. His eyes shot open to find Mallory seated next to his body on the couch. Half of his mind told him to just kick her off the couch- and potentially out of the apartment altogether. However, he sat up and gave his cousin a harsh glare.
And to think he had just gotten to sleep.
"What do you want Mal?" Eli groggily grumbled, his eyes having a hard time focusing on Mallory's displeased face.
"You know what," shot back his cousin. "You can't just leave here for hours because we don't hate Aunt Leila like you do! You acting out don't make you look any better!"
Eli was honestly not in the mood. He had dealt with Firefly and Killer Moth, learned that there was another person involved with his father's death, and was unable to question the Hound like he wanted. All in all, last night proved to be rather fruitless with his accomplishment being that he had put Firefly away for burning the building earlier and he had momentarily stopped guns being sold to Whale's organization thanks to Killer Moth being apprehended.
But nothing really important happened last night other than that.
"Jacks, listen," Mallory said quietly. "You're angry about Uncles Miles's death, we get that. But taking it out on your mom is… It's stupid. So just stop it, okay?"
"Mallory, shut up." Eli's statement gained a look of disbelief from Mallory. "I know, okay? I know that I have to let that shit go but it won't happen overnight. Stop worrying about me."
"Stop worry…! Eli, you ran out of here and didn't come back till one in the morning! I have to worry because we're not in New Camford, we're in Gotham!" Mallory retaliated. "Let's not forget that some angry black kid is walking around with a chip on his shoulder like he has to beat the living hell out of the first person who asks him how great his day was. You're a hazard Jacks, like it or not."
Eli only shook his head. If only she knew… "Mal, I'm fine. I went with Barbara for a while and then I just went walking around. I even…" Eli paused. "I even saw him."
"'Him' who?"
"The Batman." The lie was not accepted well judging by Mallory's cynical scoff. "I'm serious here Mal. It wasn't too far from Barbara's place. He was gliding overhead like some demonic… I don't even know. And then he swooped down into an alley and disappeared."
Eli's tale came from an account Hannah had read to him last summer. He knew that Mallory did not read any Batman-sighting blogs online, caring more about her social media than some people talking about seeing a vigilante. And as he predicted, Mallory's face shifted into that of a shocked expression.
"You're not shitting me, are you?" Eli shook his head no. "Christ! What'd you do? I mean, was he after you or something?"
Eli shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see him when I got to the apartment so, maybe not? Mal, the guy's eyes were like glowing white and I could see them from the sidewalk. Like literally see them clearly."
"Well… It kind of makes sense…" Mallory began. Eli frowned and sat up straighter to show that she had actually gained his attention. "Rumor is that Commissioner Gordon is working with Batman. Maybe the commish asked him to keep an eye on his daughter's new suitor?"
"Really Mal. Who in the hell says the word 'suitor' anymore?" responded the teen with a small smile.
"I do. That's who." Mallory answered him. "But seriously Jacks, I'm worried about you. You're… Different now."
"You woke me up at five in the morning to tell me that I'm different?" stated the boy as he stretched his arms over his head. "Mallory, ever since Mama taught me how to say 'mersi' I was different. But I'm fine. I promise you. I just have to let things go. That's it."
Eli had one goal in sight now. It was to get Mallory to leave him the hell alone so that he could go back to sleep. He was beginning to run out of "polite" ways of showing it. By now, it was a good thing that he left his suit and weapons with Jade.
"Fine Jacks," Mallory said. "By the way, Derrick is coming by for James. He'll be here around eleven or something like that. Try not to have you girlfriend here before then, alright?"
Eli gave his cousin a curious glance. "Are you two still seeing each other?" Mallory looked taken back, as if the accusation actually took a swing at her. Her reaction caused Eli to snort quietly and lie back down. "Your secret is safe with me Mal. Though you might want to tell Aunt Carla. Lord knows I won't die for you and him."
"He's different Eli. And I haven't really talked to him since you got here. Kind of hard to sneak him in with my nosey baby cousin here." quietly voiced Mallory. "I don't expect you to understand but- "
"I understand that he left you when he found out you were pregnant and had it not been for my mom, child support wouldn't even be a conversation." Eli interrupted. "But if you like him, fine. One of us has to keep an open mind I guess."
Eli saw the look on Mallory's face. He had seen it plenty of times during their lives; her look of deep regret that she only did whenever she had been caught in a lie. Eli realized that Mallory's relationship with her ex was something big to her and that she was probably too afraid to tell him about it out of fear of judgment.
Eli released a quiet breath. "Look, I won't go out and kill him, alright? I just… I just don't like to see some asshole take advantage of you, you know? Just 'cause he was too pussy to take care of a kid he made too?"
"Eli-"
"But I'll let it go. For you." Eli felt Mallory move from her spot before her lips found his forehead. "A 'thank you' will do for now on Mal. I really don't want to know where you put those lips when you're with him."
"Mersi, little cousin." Mallory thanked quietly.
Eli said nothing as she left the living room to head back for bed. Derrick was never going to be on Eli's list of most pleasurable people but Eli knew that, for Mallory's and James's sake, he had to be more civil to the guy.
Of course, that didn't mean that Hornet couldn't pop up and scare the living hell out of Derrick…
Hours later, Barbara sat at the front desk of the library near her home with a bored expression on her face. Normally she would love to see the young(er) minds so eagerly ready to read and journey to the land of imagination but today was different. Today she had a lot on her mind that needed to be sorted out and could not sort any of it out here at the library.
The first, and most pressing problem, was that Firefly was killed in holdings last night. Ballistics from the Batcave determined that the gun used on Garfield Lynns was different from the wounds from the murders at the docks a few nights back. That ruled out Hornet as the possible suspect of the murders- something Barbara was not okay with. She had given up on bringing the unhinged so-called hero down. The problem was that Hornet was right. Her father had crooked cops on his payroll and they were now killing guys in holdings before they entered Blackgate or Arkham.
The second issue Barbara had was the second part of her morning talk with Bruce. The man known as the Hound was missing. His escape was thought to be tied to the murder of Firefly, further writing off Hornet as the likable suspect. It was something that triggered Richard as well. The teen was tired of putting people away just for them to get out- and Barbara agreed with that. What she was not okay with was how quick Nightwing was to go out and search for the Hound.
Then again… Hornet was still in Gotham. If he found Steven Kelley before Nightwing did, there was a chance that the Hound would be the next victim of New Camford's Yellow Jacket.
Well, every dog has his day right?
Barbara sighed as she thought of the third person on her mind, Elias Jackson. Eli had boggled her mind. Barbara had attempted to file him like her books, put him in the right spot for his genre just as she did every other guy. Yet, every time she was ready to write him off as a somewhat arrogant jock or a guy going through a tough time, her surprised her with some insightful statement or a gentle side that made her take him off of the shelf and attempt to categorize him as something else.
Oh, and when they kissed.
It was crazy to think that one make-out session would be all it took to hold Barbara's attention but she'd be damned if she denied how great it was. How his hands seemed to hold her hips still while his lips meshed with hers perfectly. And that brown skinned toned body that-
"Hey Babs," Barbara nearly jumped out of her chair at Richard's voice. The dark-haired teen boy smirked, knowing he had caught her in a daydream while she fixed her glasses. "Am I interrupting something?"
"No Richard, you're not." Barbara hotly snapped back, keeping her voice library-approved. She already had to deal with Batman popping up everywhere. Did his ward really have to do the same thing?
Richard sighed. "I wanted to talk to you… It's about Eli." Barbara gave a worried look which made Richard hold his hands up in a calming fashion. "No, he's fine. It's just… Well, I want to know if he's…"
"If he's what?" Barbara whispered.
Richard leaned on the desk, his face nearing hers. "Is he the Hornet?"
Barbara blinked at the question. It was a question she had asked herself earlier before rejecting the idea. She knew of Eli's deep detestation of vigilantes- heroes and villains alike. She had no idea where it sprung from or how deep it ran, but she knew from the fiery hateful look in his eyes whenever he spoke about them that there was no way in hell he'd be caught dead in a mask.
"No!" Barbara whispered with a light laugh. "No, Eli hates vigilantes. It's one of the lines I know not to cross with him. Why?"
"Well," Richard released another sigh as he spoke. "I was doing some digging, on Eli that is. I found out that his dad was killed by the Sullivan Family for a gambling debt. And from the Hornet, I learned that his dad was killed by the Mozgov Family. No surprise that those two families are partners or that he has no care about going through both families, right?"
Barbara only shrugged. "Many people die from gambling debts Dick. New Camford does have casinos Dick. That doesn't sound so rare."
"True but think about the timing. Hornet appears in Gotham the same time that Eli does. Plus I know that the Hornet patrols the area called Cheshire Square." Richard pointed out. "Too big of a coincidence there right?"
"No he doesn't," countered Barbara. "Firstly, Eli lives in Mancastle Hills, I checked. And Hornet does Downtown New Camford- not just Cheshire Square. I thought the same thing as well but Eli hates vigilantes. It's something personal like Bruce and guns."
"No way." Richard responded.
Barbara nodded. "Yes way. He hates them. That's why he can never know about you know and my dad being friends with you know."
Richard stood up straight with a quiet whistle. "I didn't know it was that bad. I mean, are you sure he's just not throwing you off his trail?"
"Are you doubting my judgment?" Richard knew better than to answer that question. "Listen, I know how weird it is seeing Eli and Hornet show up at the same time but you know how ruthless Hornet is. Eli regrets fighting some bullies that were picking on his brother. Doesn't really scream 'Killer Bee' to me."
"I guess…" Richard's response clearly revealed his lack of conviction of her statement. "I'm going to look at some stuff, just to be sure."
Barbara released quiet sight. She knew how stubborn Richard- and Bruce- were. "Fine Dick. Just don't make things weird. I don't want him to even think that I'm stalking him. Like I said, he already hates vigilantes. I don't want to give him to hate me too."
"You really like him, huh?" questioned a sincere Richard.
"I'm starting to. So please, please, let me be Barbara for once and not Batgirl." requested Barbara.
"Fine, fine," Richard responded. "I'm going to go look something up though. "I'll call you if I find something out."
Richard walked away from the desk with a smile while Barbara shook her head. She wanted Richard to find out who Hornet was so that they could have a long talk about murdering suspects and criminals. However, it was a long-shot putting Elias Jackson and the Yellow Jacket together. Eli seemed to deeply care about his neighborhood, family, city, friends and Hornet… Well Hornet seemed to care only about his wants and needs.
Barbara exhaled quietly and placed her left elbow on the desk, resting her chin in her hand. Now where was she?
Oh yeah… That light-skinned toned body pressed against hers…
Derrick was late. Those words echoed in Eli's head like a madman possessed pacing in his padded cell. Derrick was late. Derrick was late. Derrick was fucking late!
Eli's anger was not directed at his cousin at all. For once, Leila had nothing to do with his current mood either. His fury was pointed at the entirety of the Gotham City Police Department and the Hound's escape. He had talked to Jade, who was on her way over to his aunt's apartment, and had already checked in with Nick to get the inner details.
Apparently there was a dirty copy on the force that killed Firefly and helped Steven Kelley escape. Who could have possibly thought that there was a dirty cop on the goddamn GCPD?!
A childish laugh came from the back room where Mallory's son was currently watching Looney Tunes in Carla's bedroom. If the boy's dad had been here on time, then Eli would have been halfway done with this stupid job for Jade and one step closer to tracking the Hound down all over again.
A knock came on the door. "Open up Jackson. We have a problem."
Jade. The one person that Eli actually wanted to see now was the sword-wielding ninja girl he had accidentally run into on the stairs. If there was anyone who could understand his need to put a bullet through a man's head, it was Jade.
Eli opened the door and saw her with his two bags and an extra one.
"What's all this?" he asked her.
"My so-called contact squealed on me." Jade answered as she brushed by him and made a beeline for the couch. "Don't worry, he's dead."
"Who's dead?" James stepped into the room, his wide childish eyes looking at Jade with curiosity.
"…" Obviously, Jade was not all too comfortable with a kid nearby. "You told me he's leaving."
"He is," responded Eli as he closed and locked the entry door and stepped towards the couch. "James, go back and watch cartoons. Your dad should be here soon, alright?"
"Okay Eli." James said before turning around and doing what he was previously doing.
Jade released a short scoff. "Looks like those daycare skills are paying off." She rounded to Eli with a leveled glare. "But now we have to talk about two things. One, we need to find your cop buddy. And two, we need to find your buddy the cops lost."
"I know," Eli spoke in quietly. "But the problem is that I don't know where that bitch ran off to. Pisses me the fuck off that they even let him out in the first place!"
"They didn't 'let him out', he escaped. And you'd better get your head out of your ass to see that or we're screwed either way." Jade told Eli. "The cops failed you and the Ghost Dragons are onto our movements. So I really could use one of your bright ideas."
Eli sighed heavily and shoved his hands into the side pockets of his jean shorts. He had no idea how to kidnap a cop. Hell, it's not like on a normal day he would ever have to even think about doing so. But when a group of international drug ninjas were protecting said cop, things got more complicated.
And that was just half of it.
Eli assumed that there were guys in the GCPD uniforms searching for him for payback for what he did to Officer Jensen the previous day. They would be looking to gun him down regardless what he was caught doing so he had to avoid them at all costs. Or be prepared for a full-out gunfight with Gotham's so-called finest.
Eli made his way to the couch and sat down. "So what did you tell your contact? You know, before you undoubtedly put a sword down his throat."
"I told him we were looking Ling- the leader's girl. He gave me some instructions to one of their safe houses in Chinatown." Eli snorted at the location. "We can make generic and racists jokes later. For now we have a small problem." Jade paused and sighed. "I told him that the Hornet was looking for her…"
Eli soon understood the problem. These people were looking for him. He had no idea just how fast word spread amongst Gotham's criminals but he was sure that they all knew about his "meetings" with the Sullivan and Mozgov low-lives prior to last night. They were readying for him…
Worse, they had cops on the payroll, one being Eli's current target, to help them. There would literally be men and women trained with guns teaming with armed ninjas protecting their drug operation.
All in all, too much for the two of them.
"Where'd you store the weapons we got from Moth?" questioned Eli.
"…" Jade opened her mouth though a bang on the door stopped her from answering.
Eli was annoyed but got up to answer the door. Of course, standing on the other side was the clean shaven pretty boy, Derrick. The dark-skinned teen father stared at Eli with an uneasy look on his face while Eli clutched the doorknob tighter…
…Until he remembered his promise with Mallory and sighed heavily.
"I'll go get James," Eli told him as calmly as possible. "Stay here."
"You still ain't let that shit go man? We good, Mal and I." Derrick replied. "I just want to make sure she and Little Jay are taking care for."
"Is that why you ran off when she was pregnant with him?" Eli shot back before turning around. "James! Your dad's here!"
"Bruh I've done time since the last time we spoke. Don't- "
"You did six months in juvie. Don't feed me no bullshit like you had an epiphany." Eli replied.
"Mal said you'll be on a period 'cause your pops got clapped by-"
Eli's fist banged against the door, stopping Derrick from finishing the statement. The boy from Connecticut took in several deep breaths to calm himself down. Eli was not in the mood to think about his father's death due to Kelley escaping custody last night. He was honestly seconds away from snapping on someone.
"Hi Daddy!" Thankfully James chose that moment to scamper into the room, barely able to carry the backpack that Mallory had packed for him earlier.
"'sup Little Jay?" Derrick greeted. "You ready to bounce?"
"Yeah! Bye Eli! Bye other lady!" James's farewell had Derrick over Eli's shoulder at Jade, who appeared to be just as testy as Eli was.
Eli saw Derrick's eyes fall onto Jade's figure and stepped in front of him. "You have your son. Get the fuck out of my face now."
Jade actually grinned as Eli closed the door before Derrick could respond. She was rather confused about how Eli saw her though. On occasion, she had caught him glancing at her, especially whenever she "accidentally" got into a position that struck a suggestive pose. But Eli had never pursued her. It was almost as if he had to check himself every time they were around each other.
"Fucking bitch," Eli cursed as he walked back to the couch and grabbed the bag designated for his laptop. "So what do we have, hmm? A cop protected by some drug cartel in Chinatown?"
"Not so sure we're going to Chinatown." Jade replied as Eli placed his laptop on his lap and opened it. "If the Hornet was as good as they thought, putting the alleged target and the real target at the same place at the same time is a little stupid, don't you think?"
"Yeah but Officer Anderson doesn't know that we're after him. Does he?" Jade shook her head for no. "If they have cops patrolling the area, we're going to have to be careful. Pick him out of the crowd and get him out before there's a big mess."
Jade sighed. "Yeah, well it's going to be harder than that. Well, unless I just hand you over to them. Even then, I doubt we'd both live that."
Eli sighed as he typed in information that he knew, hoping Nick was at the shed and could fill in some blanks. Carolyn Wu-San was practically a ghost and tracking her would have been impossible if Nick had not helped him. Of course, Malcolm had nothing on the Ghost Dragons or anything close to the sort. He was going in blind on this one.
"If this goes sideways," Jade told him. "Kill anything that moves and not in green and let's get the hell out of there, got it? No point in both of us dying for information that we can still get if this doesn't pan out."
"I'll keep that in mind." responded Eli. "Let's go before I change my mind. And one day you're going to tell me how we end up in these situations."
"You were a mark that I used to get around New Camford and find my dad. You used my hatred of debt against me and used your favor to get Ben to help train you." Jade threw back in a dull tone. "Add in the fact that you need me to stay alive and I need you to get information and you'll understand why we're here doing this now."
Eli just sat quietly. Jade had just admitted to using him. Oddly, he trusted her more now because she admitted it aloud. He had used her as well to scout out Bookworm's possible locations but had long buried any guilt he had once learning that she was more than just trouble on two legs- she was more or less death on two legs.
"And if you're wondering," Jade concluded. "I know you tried to make me a mark too. So we're even, Detective."
"Two marks in Cheshire Square, huh?" Eli returned. "Kind of makes us both squares, right?"
"You're the square, I'm the Cheshire." Jade joked. "Don't forget that, Square."
Eli chuckled. "Whatever… Cheshire."
Needless to say, Eli finally found a nickname that suited the ninja girl in green. From now on, they would be the Yellow Jacket and the Cheshire Cat. Nah, too many words. Just Hornet and Cheshire.
Yeah. Hornet and Cheshire.
Maurice "Mo" Anderson was a young man who attended Ouachita Baptist University before dropping out and moving to Gotham City where he entered the police academy. The man of twenty five was a father of three with girlfriend Adrianna Bennett (born Audrey Wen) and apparently an outstanding human being. He did the Big Brother Program in Gotham City as well as many charities that the GCPD did for good publicity.
And yet, despite all the man's charitable qualities, Eli was willing to bet that Mo Anderson was still working with the Ghost Dragons. This is why he was currently standing out in the rain tracking said man's every move.
"His partner is beginning to be become an unnecessary accessory." Jade commented quietly. She was currently standing with her mask beneath her chin, her face fully revealed instead of halfway when it was on correctly.
Eli agreed. They were watching the two cops stop at a food truck to get something to eat. The problem was that the partner of Officer Anderson was unsure of what to get and keeping the pair within the crowded line at the truck. They needed the two men to get away for Jade and Eli to swoop down and do what they had to do.
"Any ideas?" Eli asked.
Jade pulled her mask over the lower half of her face. "I have a few. Get ready to follow me."
The Yellow Jacket just pulled his hood over his mask as his partner ran off and apparently leapt off of the side of the building they were occupying. Eli turned his focus back to the cops at the food truck and anticipated everything. Jade was highly unpredictable and could reveal a bomb or something to get the cops attention.
"Help!" A woman screamed out.
Eli's eyes zoomed towards the situation and found a man lying on the ground holding his side. Next to him was a screaming kneeling woman and behind them stood Jade with her sword in hand.
"Police! Stop!" Of course, the first thing Jade did was stay still long enough for the officers a few yards away to arrest her.
Eli groaned and followed from the rooftops. He was no comfortable leaping from building to building in the rain, even if Nick had assured him that the boots he was wearing were made top-notch military grade boots. Eli simply just did not trust his equipment to the point that leaping several of floors above nothing but unforgiving concrete was okay. It would never be okay.
Even if his dad did it for a time…
The teen stumbled a bit, his heart racing as he caught himself and looked over at the sidewalk. He could see the officers but not Jade. Taking in a deep breath, he steady himself and continued his chase while questioning just how good of an escape artist Jade was.
Seriously, she was one of the few people that could actually avoid his eyes in a crowd. Going to the school that he did, Eli was used to finding his way or finding people in a crowded hallway. But Jade had this ability to simply vanish and reappear at will.
Maybe she was a meta?
Eli soon figured out Jade's destination due to the pathway that the two policemen were taking. He carefully made another leap over a small alley and then stopped. He turned around and looked back at the alley as the two cops closed in on Jade.
"We have the suspect," Mo spoke into the police radio before pocketing it. "Alright, drop the sword and come in quietly. We don't want any trouble."
The two approaching men in uniform were not aware of the costumed vigilante landing behind them. They were too focused on the possible threat in front of them to see the dart-throwing teen known as the Yellow Jacket take aim at them both. And by the time they were aware of the darts impaled into their necks, it was far too late.
"Officer… Down…" Mo tried to warn before dropping into an unconscious state.
Jade walked to the two cops lying face down on the wet concrete and turned Officer Mo onto his stomach. With precision, she stabbed her sword forward towards his chest, an act that caused Hornet to flinch.
"Body cam," she answered. "Now, let's get started."
Years of playing basketball for his school and recreational center, Eli was no stranger to teamwork. He had played on the same side of the ball with guys he hated and guys he was friends with. He also knew when team chemistry was either at its highest or lowest.
The simple fact that he and Jade moved without a single word showed great chemistry. They were able to zip-tie the other officer up and hand-cuffed Officer Anderson with nothing but a look from one another. They pulled Mo further down the alleyway and away from the view of the street before Eli used one of his remaining smelling-salt to wake Mo Anderson up.
"Huh…? What happened?" Mo asked before looking in front of him at the two masked teens. "H-Hornet?!"
Jade crossed her arms. "I'm standing right here as well." Mo's blue eyes fell onto the girl in the green kimono. "The name is Cheshire," she held her sword out to him. "Now say my name."
"Ch-Cheshire!" he stammered.
"We know you're in contact with the Ghost Dragons," Hornet said. "We only need information about one thing."
"Carolyn Wu-San." Cheshire finished. "Where is she?"
"I don't… I don't know." Mo answered. "Please don't tell Commissioner Gordon that I speak to those guys! I don't have a choice!"
"Your girlfriend, we get it." Cheshire said. Eli fought himself not to ask her how she knew that Adrianna was connected to the group but he was sure to ask her later.
Mo shook his head. "Look, I know you're going to beat the hell out of me for even turning a blind eye on them-"
"That depends on the information given." interrupted Hornet.
"I don't know much. The Dragons wanted her sister for something about a few canisters. My girlfriend doesn't tell me much about the organization and I don't ask. I feel bad enough as it is." the man said as he shifted on his butt, his hands handcuffed in his lap.
"I'm going to need a little bit more information." Jade said with the tip of her blade pressing into his vest.
"Canisters with some drug! I don't know!" he protested. "Then some agents came looking for her and that was it!"
Eli digested the information. From Mo's account, there was a chance that G.O.O.D had come for Carolyn and has either found her or was still looking for her. There was also a chance that the Dragons still have her in secrecy. For now, Eli could not tell which one was more believable but he did know one thing was for sure.
Mo Anderson was a patsy to the organization, a stooge on the force that passed along information and took blame for small mishaps. He was, in Eli's eyes, the George of the Ghost Dragons.
"Give us some information on this drug," Hornet soon spoke. "And then you're free to go."
Cheshire gave her teammate a glance out of the corner of her eyes. He either had a plan or figured something out.
"I don't know what the drug was or what it was used for. I just know that Carolyn's sister and some other guy- damn what was his name? Ricky? Rich? Ric-"
"Richard Dragon," Now it was Hornet who gave Jade a curious stare from behind his goggles. "His name is Richard Dragon."
"Yeah! They went and blew up the factory of it and I was told to arrest her." Officer Mo said. "Then she was released and then the agents came in."
"Hmm," Cheshire hummed as she removed her sword. "Normally this is the part you tell us that they have something on you and you can't say more for your kids' lives. Of course, Hornet and I will decide if stabbing you will do the trick or shooting you but-"
Officer Mo sat up straight. "No wait! There's one little thing!" The man leaned towards them and whispered, "My original partner was being stalked by birds. He said that they knew everything about the case and that it was important to let her go."
"What kind of birds?" Hornet asked.
"He said owls. Every night there would be a group of owls that would- ugh!"
Eli's eyes widened when Jade quickly slit the man's throat. The man collapsed as the blood free-flowed from the gash in his neck from the merciless slash. The girl in green didn't even speak as she made a break for the fire escape, scaling it up to the rooftops. Hornet raised his right hand and fired the grappling hook in the gauntlet, following her as quickly as possible.
"What the fuck was that?!" Eli growled.
"Shut the hell up!" Cheshire snapped before sighing. "We'll talk about this back at your apartment. Change, hand me your suit, and keep your head low, got it?" Eli nodded. "Good. And if you can, stay near your girlfriend. I'll explain this shit later."
Eli grunted. "You'd better Jade. I don't make it a habit killing innocent people like that."
"Trust me," Cheshire spoke as she turned around. "If they are after him, he's anything but innocent." Cheshire took a few steps before stopping. "I hit a Mozgov cache last night. I'll drop what I have off at your place."
She didn't wait for Eli to answer as she took off, leaving him standing in the rain. Eli raised a hand to his right ear and pressed the button to the communicator.
"Hickman, I need a favor." Eli said quietly.
"Damn it kid, the semis are on!" Nick fussed.
"Owls, Hickman. I want to know who they are and why they would scare the hell out of Jade." said Hornet as he began to head in the direction of Jade's hotel to drop his suit off.
"Owls…? As in the birds, mate?" Eli responded with a quiet "Yeah" which got a hum from Nick. "I'll see what I can pull up. Anything else?"
"Yeah. See if our friend Stephen Kelley popped up." growled Hornet. "I'm not finished with him yet."
Barbara had not forgotten Richard's words earlier today. Richard had a strong point that it was a little odd that Eli and Hornet shared similar background stories and that they showed up in Gotham City at the same time. However, Barbara held on to the belief that Eli's abhorrence of vigilantes stopped him from being a vigilante.
Of course, Barbara realized that she could just call Eli and ask him up front if he was or was not the Hornet. But this did not seem like an over-the-phone conversation. Plus, she was still at work and was forbidden from using her cell phone.
Just ten more minutes…
Richard had left more than half an hour ago to check something out. She was sure that it was possibly another lead on Bookworm and Ratcatcher. The boy was still hell-bent on returning all of the escapees back to Blackgate.
"Excuse me," A familiar voice caused Barbara to look up at the smiling face. "Can you recommend a book that actually won't put me to sleep?"
Barbara made a thinking face. "Hmm… Have you any Harry Potter books?"
Eli chuckled. "Given the kids that I work with, I'm a little tired of him." The teen leaned his slightly wet arms on the front desk, his gray shirt darken around his shoulders due to the rain he had just escaped from. "I figured since I'm leaving tomorrow that I'd pop in. Hope that's cool with you."
"It's fine. In fact I…" Barbara paused. Was she really going to do this? Here? "I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Okay," Eli said quietly. "Shoot."
"Are you the Hornet?"
He hated her. She knew it from the disrespected glare that he shot her afterwards. It was like taking Superman's laser vision straight to the heart and out through her back. And when his fists balled up to the point that they were actually shaking, she knew that she had crossed that line.
And then he calmed down with a heavy sigh.
"Why in the hell would you ask that? You know I hate vigilantes." Eli hissed in a low tone.
"I know! I'm sorry it's just… My dad was doing some investigation into Hornet and you appearing when he appeared it's just a little weird." responded the redhead. "I didn't want to ask you but I just had to know."
"He…!" Eli began angrily before seemingly calming down again. "Hornet was the one who told me about my dad's death before the cops came to tell me. These so-called heroes couldn't save one man from some mob or whatever. So the Yellow Jacket can go to hell in my honest opinion."
Barbara swallowed. "I understand. I'm sorry."
She hadn't meant to trigger angry memories. She wanted to ask a simple question, get a simple answer, and then bury the subject once and for all.
"I'm sorry," Eli said quietly, his eyes on the floor. "It's just that… My dad was a vigilante. A gambling idiot who became a vigilante named the Army Ant or something like that." Barbara's eyes widened, Eli meeting her shocked gaze with a confused one. "Have you heard about him?"
"N-No! I just didn't think that you were the son of a hero!" she quickly covered her shock. Was Richard right? Was the Hornet the son of Army Ant? Was Eli and Hornet one in the same?
"I didn't find out until the night of his death, after he had actually died." Eli continued. "They said that there were three of these bug guys. The Army Ant, the Yellow Jacket, and another one. Two of them are now dead and I guess the third one is out there failing to do anything about it."
Barbara frowned. "You won't help him get justice for your dad?"
"Don't take this the wrong way Barbara, but what can some crazy fool with guns do for me? Bring my dad back? Tell me all the stupid secrets that my mom and I had to hear from a masked stranger wanted for murder? There is no justice. Just vengeance I care nothing about." Eli concluded. "So I hate vigilantes because they do nothing but keep secrets from people that are supposed to be in their lives. And it's really not fair that they can get away with all this shit and just throw it on us."
"Eli I…" Barbara took in a breath. His words reflected the worst fears that she figured all heroes encountered. The moment your loved ones find out you were a hero at your funeral. It wasn't fair to her aunt and uncle who brought her in, her cousin who looked up to her as a sister, or her uncle's new wife to keep this from them and risk taking the secret to her literal grave. Making them worry during nights of complete anarchy as she willingly put herself into danger to save tens, hundreds, or maybe thousands of people.
Eli relaxed his fingers on the desk. "I'm sorry Barbara. Just thinking about my dad keeping that shit from me and then having some random nigga in a fucking mask tell me how great my dad was and how he'd make it right, like what is this shit? How can someone 'fix' this?"
"I think he's just trying to help. Maybe he feels attached to your dad and responsible for his death?" Barbara offered.
"He should." Eli spoke coldly before straightened up, now standing at his full height in front of Barbara's desk. "I'm going to go cool off."
"Eli, wait," Barbara said rising from her seat. "I'm sorry for asking. I just had to ask for my dad's sake." She gave him a smile. "Please… Stay."
Eli shook his head. "I don't want to say something else and the kids hear is or your boss does."
"It's fine. Just… Don't leave."
Eli was really trying to leave due to the unplanned testimony that was factually reminiscent to the night of Malcolm's murder. Of course, Hornet did not show up- he had yet to be created at this point. But there was an officer who did the job.
Eli remembered being led out of the apartment by the bald-headed dark African-American man. Leila had met them outside in the parking lot. The woman did not cry. The woman did not shout. She simply gave Eli a, "Come on Elias," and they went to identify the body.
"Fine Barbara. I'll stay." Eli answered quietly.
He continued to think about the past. When they were identifying Malcolm's corpse, alawyer present, apparently an old friend of Leila's, assured them that Malcolm's time as a vigilante would be concealed and that the he and his alter ego would never be mentioned in the same article, essay, news reports, and etcetera. It was all due to some Darby Law that Eli ignored then, and ignored now. Leila had kept composure during the entire time while Eli had nearly lost his mind staring at his deceased father.
His dad had died? His dad was a hero? His dad was gambling again? All these questions flooded his mind at the time. And then his mother said one thing that haunted him till this day.
With her eyes solely on the lead detective on the case, Leila had gone up to the man that clearly outsized her in every physical form possible and said, "I want him on his knees or else."
It had been the only time that Eli had heard his mother deliver such a threat and it was said in such a tone that even Eli felt bad for the guy that had just killed his dad. Leila had led Eli back to the apartment that night and sat in the living room, crying, while Eli locked himself inside of his room. They wouldn't speak until the next morning and even that was only when necessary.
A mother and son forced to talk to one another. Who'd thought that that's what they would become? But that night made it painfully clear that the once mama's boy Elias Jackson and his once beloved mother Leila Nolan was now just that; forced to talk to each other.
"Eli," Barbara said quietly. "Are you alright?"
Eli shook his head. "No… You're the first person who I've told that to."
"Your secret is safe with me." Barbara assured, her hand squeezing his affectionately.
"…" Eli just stared at her. The secret, the real secret, was that he was Hornet and that he blamed everyone, himself included, for his father's death. His secret was that he hated all vigilantes which, again, included himself.
The secret was that he despised all thoughts and talks about how great his parents were when they had each abandoned him either for a better life in some office or to run around in a Halloween costume.
Barbara, sensing his discomfort, spoke gently. "I'm really sorry for bringing it up but I don't want you to leave angry. Well, not angry at me."
She meant no harm, Eli figured. Then again, those detectives, those lawyers, his stepfather, his half-brother, his stepfather's parents, his aunt and cousin, all of them meant no intentional harm either and have yet managed to do just that; harm him. Maybe, he figured, Leila was right and that he was too emotionally unstable to deal with the small and meaningless ribs and jabs that were thrown his way. Or maybe there was a deeper, darker, reason to his recent bursts of anger? One that his father may or may not have dealt with…
"It's fine Barbara," Eli partially lied. "I just have a hard time dealing with it. Harder than most people know."
Barbara smiled. "Well, I do know a little place that makes the best milkshakes that makes all of my problems go away for a moment. Think it might help you as well?"
"At this point," Eli responded with a small smile of his own. "I'm willing to try anything to make this go away."
"I know that you probably don't want to hear this," Barbara said, her blue eyes embracing his brown ones. "But if you want or need it, I'll be that hero for you."
Eli's chest inflated with an explosive response clearly on the tip of his tongue. And then he calmed and a smile graced his face.
"Thanks Barbara."
Barbara returned the smile while completely on a new subject. Hornet either knew how or why Eli's dad was murdered. It may be time for him to have a one-on-one chat with Batgirl.
It was not odd to see Richard walking with his face shoved between the pages of a book, just a sight Alfred had not seen in months now. But the black-haired teenager was not reading a book. He was reading the newspaper. Despite his maturity, Richard, like most kids his age, hardly picked up the newspaper unless a school project had to be done or a fly had to be swatted.
Bemused, Alfred greeted the boy. "Opting to read the paper this evening, Master Dick?"
"There's a girl in D.C who saved a bus full of kids," Richard replied. "I'm sure Bruce knows about this?"
"He left to talk to the girl's mother as we speak." Richard sat the paper down and looked at Alfred, egging the butler to go further into detail. "The blonde is the daughter of Wonder Woman. Lyta, I think her name is."
Richard sat the paper down. "And why is Bruce going to talk to her or Wonder Woman?"
"Master Dick," Alfred began in his lecturing tone. "While I am no stranger to teenagers believing that they can do everything on their own, might I insist that you allow Master Bruce to help you just a little bit? He cares a lot about you whether he shows it all the time or not."
"What does that have to do with his meeting?" Richard pressed on.
"He heard about your initiation to form a group of young heroes like yourself. He was impressed and sought to aid you." explained the aged butler. "I know that Master Bruce's relationship with Miss Kyle can be trying at times but he would never put her life above yours. I think you should know that."
Richard sat at the small round glass table in the large kitchen with a sigh. For starters, he had been so caught up in the feats of this "Lyta" that he had wandered into the kitchen. It was possibly due to the fact that it was normal for him to magically follow his nose to Alfred's cooking. Heck, that ability is what kept the younger wandering Boy Wonder from getting lost in the manor; because he could always find the kitchen.
Now it was slightly perplexing as to why he did so before Alfred started cooking at all.
"I've already contacted some people. I'll start my initiative after I've talked to some more people." responded Richard.
"Have you asked Miss Gordon? I'm sure she would more than glad to help." Richard sighed quietly.
"No. She needs to stay here. Batman will always need a Robin or a Batgirl to keep him from going too far." The young teenager said. "I've been thinking about asking someone else first."
Alfred raised a brow. "I assume you're speaking about a certain Yellow Jacket?"
"The Hound was released and Firefly is dead," Richard said. "Something tells me that Whale is behind it which means that he and I have a lot of work to accomplish together."
"One could say that you two make the Birds and the Bees, right?"
Richard smiled. "Yeah. Time to teach these guys a vital lesson."
Author's Notes: So here is the latest chapter. There isn't much here except for a lot of foreshadowing. See how many little Easter Eggs you can find here. Onto Eli's character, his dislike (okay, it's a hatred) for vigilantism goes far deeper than he lets on, even to the point that he hates himself for it. There will be a small time skip from this chapter and the next revealing Eli's newest mentor(s) as well as some hints on who Nightwing will ask to join him for his team as well as a moment between Eli and his brother. Of course, before that, if you have any thoughts, ideas, or just comments that you'd like to share, drop a review or PM to let me know. Ciao for now.