Arsenal New Beginnings Chapter 6: The Joker's big move
Roy had left only 15 minutes ago and Laurel decided to check in and see how Lian was doing. She slowly pulled the door opened and peaked inside. Lian was out like a light. The covers were up to her neck. She was sound as sleep. It was now close to 3 in the morning. Laurel turned and headed back to her room. She pulled the handle of her door and went inside. Her bed was up against the wall and her window was to the left of her.
Laurel walked up to her bed and got into bed. She fluffed her both her pillows. Laurel had always slept with two pillows. Laurel got into her bed and grabbed her sheets and pulled the covers up and over her legs. She made the sheets go all the way to her chest. Her arms were resting on the sheets as she started to close her eyes.
There happened to be a sound coming from her living room. Just as her eye lids were dozing off, she heard the sounds. It startled her and she wondered what the noise was. Had Lian awoken or had she knocked something. She pulled the covers off her body and got up and headed to the door. She stopped and grabbed the baseball bat she had behind her door.
She held the bat and slowly went outside, pulling the door slowly. Trying to get a view without having whoever was there to hear or see her. She headed to where the sounds were coming from and called out lian's name "Lian is that you?"
The floor boards creaked suddenly and someone grabbed her by the mouth to keep her quiet. A guy's voice that was deep was heard saying "Sorry pretty lady, I'm not the person you thought I was."
With her mouth close and with the other arm holding her from moving, Laurel tried to struggle and pushed the guy into the wall and then used her elbow to elbow the guy holding her in the chest hard.
She turned and punches the guy in the face and says "Who are you and what do you want?"
Suddenly the was a clicking sound of what sounded like a gun's barrel being set then another voice said, "Now, Now I'd play nice little lady or we'll hurt this pretty little one."
Another man had Lian by the throat and had a knife to it. Laurel saw what he had in his hand and stopped what she was doing. The guy she had slapped got up and slapped her in the face. Her lip was cut as she fell to one knee. The man in charge looked at the two other men in the room and says "John that's no way to treat a lady. The boss wants them in perfect shape.
John looked back at Billy who was still alive after being beaten by Nightwing the night Laurel had escaped.
"The Joker may have ordered us to bring them in but he didn't say in what condition." John replied.
Billy looked at Laurel still holding his .44 and said, "Let the twerp go. I doubt she'll gives us lip. Not like this one."
He pointed at Laurel and lian ran to her. Laurel bent down and picked up lian. Lian was scared and wanted her daddy. She looked at Laurel and says "Where's my daddy?"
"It will be ok Lian. You're daddy went to find your mom and I promise to protect you until he comes." Laurel replied, looking at Lian who was in her arms.
Laurel turned her attention to Billy and says "You there. What do you want? What does the Joker want with us?"
"You don't remember me do you?" Billy asked looking at Laurel.
Laurel looked back and gave him a confused look then said, "Hmm. should I know you. I've never met you before until tonight."
Billy placed the gun down looked at John and one other guy with them. He looked at John and says "Take them to the car and let's get to Malcolm Merlyn's building and call the Joker and tell him we have them."
"I say we should kill them now." John replied with insistence in his voice.
Billy pulled out his .44 and clicked the barrel to have a bullet ready to fire. He pointed it at John and says "First off in my line of work we don't kill children."
He fired the gun and the round went off. The bullet went into John's chest killing him instantly. Billy looked at the other man and said, "Clean this mess and let's get out of here before the cops arrive Jim."
Jim nodded and got rid of the body he carried him out to the fire escape and saw a dumpster not far from where he stood. He carried him down the ladder. While Billy held the .44 on Laurel who was in shocked and had covered Lian's face so she couldn't witness the horror of the man dying.
She looked at him and says "You didn't have to kill him. You killed him without flinching and you did it without any care or consequences of shooting him in front of a child."
"What are you worried about? You covered her eyes and beside you should be thanking me." Billy replied looking at Laurel, pointing his .44 in her face.
Jim carried him to the dumpster and threw John's dead body inside then ran back up the ladder and helped get Laurel and Lian into the seats and tired both of them up and tied laurel's mouth. It took them about 20 minutes to arrive at Merlyn industries. They head to the top floor where Malcolm Merlyn was. He saw them coming off the elevator and says "What's the meaning of this?"
"We're just doing what the Joker wants." Billy replied as he tied both Laurel and Lian to chairs.
Laurel stood tied to the chair and watched as they tied Lian to a chair. Lian was so tired that her eye lids were closing. Laurel looked at Malcolm and says "She's a little girl who's tired does she need to be tied up. Where will she go?"
Malcolm walked up to Laurel and untied her mouth and says "No she doesn't and I'm sorry that you are here considering you used to date my son."
"Why are you sorry Mr. Merlyn? What happened between us wasn't your fault. Not unless you planned this with the Joker. Laurel asked looking at Malcolm.
Malcolm Merlyn poured himself a drink then went to sit at his desk and says "The reason I'm sorry is because your here as part of his game and I don't have a choice? So seat back and enjoy the show."
"I'm beginning to think the Joker has things on you. The kind of things you don't want the world to know like for example there's been rumors of a device that can level a city. Care to comment." Laurel asked.
He got up and walked towards where Lian was and untied her and placed her on the couch and covered her with a blanket that had been resting on the couch.
Malcolm while walking towards the tied Lian answered Laurel question and says "A device that can level a city, I have no idea what you're referring about and plus you have no proof."
He was standing in front of Lian's chair and watched at the same time, as the men who had brought Laurel and Lian there were about to pounce.
He tilted his head and looked directly at them and says "Relax Boys I'm Just letting the girl catch some sleep, she's exhausted."
They all nodded to Malcolm's answer and stand on guard, then Billy picked up the phone and dials the Joker's cell number.
The Joker picked up his cell after hearing it go off. He pulled his cell out of his coat pocket and answered. Billy was on the other end and says "Boss we have the girl and child,"
The Joker smiled and chuckled on the success of the job and said, "Great Job. I'll be there shortly and I won't be alone so I want you boys to start getting the place ready."
"I'll have the boys get everything ready for when you arrive." Billy replied as he hung the phone up.
Billy and the rest of his men started getting the place ready for the Joker's arrival. As they were getting ready they hear an explosion.
Laurel would be the first to hear it and says "What was that?"
"That I believe was the sounds of an explosion at a building the Joker is at and where all your friends are. The only one who wasn't there was the Green Vigilante." Billy replied staring out the window and watching the building begin to fall.
Malcolm walked and looked outside the window then back at Billy and in an angry tone says "The Joker promised he wouldn't blow anything up and that the city would be mine soon."
"Looks like the Joker made some changes to your agreement." Billy replied giving Malcolm a smirk then turned to look at Jim and said, "Bring our guest to the window she can watch as her friends die."
Jim untied Laurel and brought her to the window. She looked in the direction of the explosion and turned to look at Malcolm and slapped him in the face and says "You bastard."
Billy grabbed her by the hand and said, "Now now, there's no need for that."
Billy walked off and headed to the elevator. Jim watched as Billy headed there. He followed Billy and says "What's our next move?"
Billy pressed the up elevator then stopped to look at Jim and said, "Now you watch them with the men that are hear, while I wait for the Joker to arrive and get our money."
Laurel heard what they were saying and in a stern tone says "So you boys are hired mercenaries. Am I correct?"
"So behind that beauty there is a brain. You finally figured it out. Yes we were hired by the Joker and we did our part. Now the only thing left is our money." Billy turned his attention to Laurel and answered her.
"What if you boys don't get your money? Laurel asked looking at Billy.
Jim pulled his gun out and with his left arm pointed the gun and said, "Shut up. I suggest you keep your big mouth shut or else I'll shut it for you."
"Jim there no need for that tone. She did make a valid point." Billy grabbed Jim's left arm and pulled it down.
"Alright I'm sorry." Jim replied in an apologetic tone then walked off.
The elevator door rings and the door opened Billy got on the elevator and faced both Laurel and Malcolm. He pressed the button to hold the elevator open.
He looked at them and said, "To answer your question. When the time comes you're have your answer."
The elevator doors closed as he released the hold button. It began it upward motion to the roof. As he was going up floor by floor you could hear a helicopter coming their way.
To be continued in chapter 7...