3. Chapter
Sorry I'm not yet so quick in writing in English. The last chapter will follow. Hope you enjoyed it anyway until now.
"Morning sunshine."
Diana opened her eyes and saw a grinning Superman standing in front of her.
"Oh no, how long have I slept?"
"Obviously a bit too long, our patient is gone." With that he stepped to the side and what came to the light was an empty bed.
"Bruce…", Diana hissed and looked questioningly on Superman, "how can someone be so unreasonable?"
He just sighed and said:
"I don't know. I mean I know him. And I know that nobody knows his body as well as he does. But I have to admit, that I'm a bit concerned now."
Diana nodded.
"I know what you mean, this time he really looked bad. And I don't have a very good feeling with him being out somewhere in Gotham hunting criminals. What do you think?"
For an instant they both looked thoughtfully on the bed, and then at each other. Now the man of steel only said one thing:
"Okay, let's go."
Batman still was on the roof and now ready to intervene in the scene below him.
With an elegant jump over the wall Batman let himself fall and landed lightly in his crouch. In the darkness, directly behind one of the guys he slowly stood up to his full size. This action was carried out in such a silence, that none of them really noticed him standing there.
"I'm here."
And as soon as the one startled turned, he was hardly kicked away into the nearby trashcan. Now the others comprehended what was going on and joined the fight.
Normally five guys weren't absolutely no problem for Batman. Three minutes and the thing would be done. But now, when he found himself in action, the signs of his "not yet completely cured" illness came forward. He had to concentrate harder than usually to move fluently. And his vision wasn't as clear as normal. But somehow he managed it.
The next one got to feel Bamtan's fist and the third that was now standing behind him, got an amazingly precise kick in his belly.
But somehow his blows weren't as hard as usually or he was just imagining it. But why the first knocked out was then on his feet again? Soon he realized that it wasn't just his lack of power. He noticed that these guys weren't just guys. So yes they were, but under their leather jackets he could now see the tight muscles and the broad shoulders. In a better condition he never would have missed that fact. Maybe they were some kind of bar-hobby-fighters….
But now he hadn't the time for that. He coughed again and at his utmost astonishment and misfortune to all, Batman spotted more shapes coming out of the darkness. And they would join in, he knew.
He hadn't the time to take a closer look, already the next one, tallest of all, was getting on him with an angry face:
"Youuu...!"
This time he couldn't fully avoid the attack and got hit half in his face. It made the dark knight furious; he just was damn slow today. Despite of his fury he staggered backwards and felt that already another one was hanging on his back. With not little effort he hurled his attacker in the single lamppost that was standing around.
"Roooaaa…"
Now he was breathing heavily and suddenly noticed that the whole group of leather-jacketed idiots was standing in front of him. It were only four guys more, so now there were, minus the one still lying on the lamppost, eight of them. Enough for his currently state now, he thought.
For an almost magic moment they were just looking at each other, before they stormed at him with a loud roar.
And in this short second before the attack, through the halfway blurred figures of his new enemies and the dim light from the lantern, he saw her. The girl. She still was standing there, with the bag in her hands and the shock in her face. Over his exertion he's completely forgotten her. Sometimes the victims don't run away, because they're in a shock. He blamed himself that he didn't control it. Anyhow she was still there and during the fight he didn't need something or someone else to concern about.
"Go!", he shouted while he fought what he could.
In his fury the attackers flew around him, even though he knew that a fight in anger was absolutely taboo. Maybe it was because his strengths slowly subsided.
And then he heard the girl scream. A guy had grabbed her. And as he was distracted for a moment and looked directly in the frightened eyes of her, she cried:
"Watch out!"
"Shout up, you stupid girl!", the guy that was holding her shouted.
But it was too late. For a second he saw flash something in the dim light and then he felt it. The guy rammed him the thing with such a force in his left side that it got right through the suit into his flesh. At the handle he could see that it must be a sharpened screwdriver or something like that.
"Uuuhh….." The strong shock forced him on his left knee.
But Batman crouched only for a short time; then he took a deep breath.
"That….was not very clever of you", he said quietly and slowly stood up.
With clenched teeth the dark knight now stared with such an evil expression at his assailant that this cringed back in shock.
The pain shot through his body like a flash and he had to make an effort to stand upright, but he was a master in suppressing pain. So he pulled himself and all his left forces together. Now he was in a state of pure concentration.
With large steps he reached the already fleeing man. He grabbed him and threw him away as if he were just a carton box.
In a flash he turned and rammed the one of the other two who were getting at him. The second was swinging a large chain above his head. It seemed like the new guys had brought some toys.
He calmly waited for the right moment and then simply caught the chain at the other end. For an instant he glared at the startled chainholder and then with a powerful jolt the man met Batman's ready fist. A second later the one standing behind him got an elbow in his face. But before that he quickly threw a batarang at the "keeper" of the young lady.
The screwdriver in his side not made the whole thing easier, but he knew if he pull it out, the loss of blood would be even more as it already was.
He span around. Now he was standing there, still fully concentrated with legs apart and clenched fists ready to face the next one. But there were only two left. They looked frightened at him while they were helping their fallen teammates to get up.
"Please don't...don't come near us, o...okay?"
He'll let them pass. With a grumble he turned, jumped over a guy lying on the floor and smartly grabbed the now free girl around her hips.
He shot his wire in direction of the roof where he's come from and in the next second they went up.
He had to bring her in safety, just in case. She was more important to him than to get done with the enemies.
As they arrived at the top he let her down. She was not heavy at all, but he still had to be careful not to drop her roughly. Now that the excitement of the fight was over, also his concentration was. He noticed that from the exertion and the strain he was trembling all over the body. He felt that his whole forces were falling apart and for a short moment he had to be careful not to collapse on his knees. And this wasn't only the bad condition in which he was. Also the pain had come back. God, that hurts.
The girl was standing in a little distance and has obviously been watching him.
"I….want to thank you very much for….are you alright?", she finally asked shyly.
He was much too hot and his view became blurred again and again, not mentioned the sharp pain…
"Yes, are you hurt?",
he managed to say in a halfway calm voice under his panting. She looked okay, but he wanted to be sure. One injured person was enough.
"N…no I'm fine, thanks."
But her glance at him let to imply that she doubted that HE was fine.
Now he anyway had to ignore her for a second, but he absolutely had to pull out the thing in his side, because the pain was getting unbearable and also it bothered him. So he carefully grabbed the handle.
A quick pull and it was done.
"Aaarrgh ….." The suppressed cry did not remain unheard.
What the hell...he thought as he glanced at the unusual weapon, that he now was holding in his hand. Yes it was a screwdriver. And yes it was sharpened, very well sharpened actually.
It only soothed the pain a little, but of course the bleeding now went faster. Nevertheless he had to do it.
"Oh my God! What's that?"
Batman realized too late, that the girl also was staring at the "thing" that he'd just pulled out of his torso.
Without a comment he threw it away, but for safety's sake not over the edge of the roof.
The girl now came closer.
"You're bleeding. Is it very bad?", she said in an anxious voice.
Quickly Batman covered the wound with his cape.
And at this moment they suddenly heard starting a few motorcycles. Both were listening attentively. They became quieter.
So at least there wouldn't be necessary any more fighting.
Last chapter will follow…
