Helping a Hero
A/N: This chapter actually took a lot longer than I thought it would, but it's finally finished and I can post it without having to go back and edit so that my favorite readers can take a look. Okay I'm just going to make sure of one thing though: everybody gets that some of the chapters are like flashbacks right? Because if you didn't, your timeline is screwed up for this story. Sorry about that.
Chapter 4- Gathering Intel
Tucker's POV: 12:40 AM, Undisclosed Location
Okay this is good right? I'm looking at the Boy Wonder. And he's staring straight at me. Well not at me, but at Skulker…well technically he's looking at an emoticon that Skulker is talking through.
So he definitely doesn't know I'm here. Skulker doesn't either for that matter.
I have the drop on them both, and with a press of a button I can interrupt them. I just need Robin to step closer. I wait patiently to see if he would take just a couple of steps closer.
Come on little birdie your falling right into my trap, just one step closer. After a couple minutes of waiting on Robin to take one little step closer a voice to my right yells at the computer.
"Oh my gosh just take a step already!"
I turned to see Jazz glaring at the computer screen in front of me.
"Jazz, these things take time." I heard Sam chime in softly from my left, gently squeezing my shoulder as she spoke.
Just as Jazz was about to counter her argument, Robin stepped in the range of my remote computer and it automatically starts to decode Robin's wrist computer. I turned to see Sam already putting on her headset to listen closely in on the conversation between the young hero and Skulker, her entire focus on the screen to my right as she watched and recorded the interesting conversation. Now it's time for what I do best and that's hacking. I manually take control of the hacking to speed things along.
Within a minute of him standing in the circle, I was in. Well, not exactly in because a new updated firewall would appear every forty five seconds, but I would let the automatic decoder deal with those for now. The decoder won't be able to keep this up for long, but I just need to stay in long enough for me to finish downloading the information banks off of his wrist computer.
Almost…and got it. Everything that was stored on that device is mine now. I hope it has what we need. Now to get out of the device before the Boy Wonder figures out he's been hacked.
It takes only a few moments to go out the back-door that I've created in Robin's device, but after I'm out I delete the evidence with almost no trace that there was a hack at all. I'm pretty certain that I've got us the information we need now, but now we've got to find going to take us a few minutes to go through the files to find what we need.
I bring up the newly acquired files and stare for a second, stunned. There was no backup encryption…if anyone else had gotten through the firewall like I did (given it was an extremely advanced firewall) then they would have been able to read the information freely, just as I'm doing.
It's even organized…alphabetically…with pictures. So the Boy Wonder really is just a kid, hmm.
I glance over at Sam where she is listening in on the young hero's and mercenary's conversation, and catch a glimpse of the distaste on her face and then she winced.
I wonder what's got that look on her face for a few seconds before I turn back to my screen and continue going through the meticulously organized files...maybe this won't take so long after all.
Sam's POV:
Tucker gets to work as soon as Robin steps into the circle. Typing away like a madman while grinning like crazy. I don't even think he's aware that he looks like he is five seconds away from clinically insane.
I look towards the screen showing the confrontation between Robin and Skulker and decide to listen in on how the experienced young hero deals with the megalomaniac ghost that is Skulker, I might be able to discern something from their conversation. I even put it on record just in case Jazz wants to listen to it later.
I focused in on the conversation just in time to hear the rest of Robin's sentence.
"So who are you supposed to be…ghost rider? Cause I mean if you are, you're a pretty good cosplay."
"You are starting to annoy me already, child."
"Whoa listen here, buddy, you wanted to talk to me first!"
"Nevertheless, boy, I'm here on an important assignment, so let's get straight to the point."
"Which is?"
"Have you seen the ghost child?"
A look of confusion passes over Robin's face. "Who?"
"We've been searching through the city, but this hunt has proved fruitless so far. My boss is willing to offer you and your partner a bounty for his safe return."
"Wait, hold on, back to my previous question: who is this 'ghost child?' Also what do you mean by ghost exactly?"
Skulker and I do a face palm, as if saying "Jeez, man, haven't you ever heard of the most haunted city in America?"
Skulker relays my thought to the Boy Wonder: "You've never heard of Amity Park or the ghost child? It's the place where the ghost chil-," a sigh came out of his mechanical mouth, as though he was recalling something, "where the Phantom was born."
"Phantom is a ghost, a very powerful ghost that used to be the hero of Amity Park, until he went missing last June. And yes, I do mean a ghost as in 'boo!' I'm a ghost to if it makes you feel any better."
"So you want me to do what, exactly?" Robin tilts his head to the side, thinking of what it would mean if Skulker is what he says he is.
"I want you to convince your partner to search for him. Hunt him down if you have to, but he must be found. Apparently he's vital to the time line, or at least he is according to some people."
Is Clockwork looking for Danny to? My face goes pale, is he working with Vlad to find Danny?
"How old is he?"
"Sixteen, he was fifteen when he was took. Why is his age important?"
"You'll see. Batman will be here in a sec." Robin flashed a reassuring smile at the screen.
"I'm already here, Robin." A figure shrouded in black emerged from the shadows. Scary, at first glance, and terrifying should he ever turn his gaze on you.
"Nice of you to join us, Batman." A cocky smile from the child was sent to his mentor who had been there to overhear the last few lines of their improvised meeting.
I didn't even notice that he was in the building. When—how did he get in the building without me noticing? How did that kid know?
"Robin, who is this?" He turned his penetrating white eyes to the colorful, cheerful child.
"Oh…Batman, this is Skulker, a ghost, and he says that he is in need of our detective services."
"Yes, the child is correct. I am looking for a missing perso-."
"No."
He turned to walk out of the room. I could see Robin's shock at his mentor's refusal written all over his face.
"Wait! Batman, I need to talk to you. Listen I know this seems fishy, but I have a good feeling about this."
"Robin, no means no." His tone established that the conversation was over, but you don't become The Batman's partner by being a pushover.
"But-"
"No buts, get to the Batmobile. We have to find the arsonist that blew up that warehouse. I will meet you there."
Robins face was filled with a mixture of shock, betrayal, and hurt. After a second, his face twisted into anger. "No!"
Batman stopped and then turned his head around at the refusal, and if he wasn't wearing an emotionless mask I would say that his face was filled with shock.
"What did you just say to me?" I wince at his harsh tone. Jeez, Bats, chill. Robin's only like, what, ten? Eleven?
"I said no! You're going to hear me out on this. A child is in danger right now and you gotta' reconsider Batman. He's just a kid, and he's been missing for a year. Skulker here says that the kid was a hero from Amity Park, I think. He says that he's following up on some leads, but was trying to get our attention to ask for our help. If the kid was a hero I say that we at least give it a shot." That kid has serious guts. Even I wouldn't be able to glare at Batman while he was giving the famous Batglare. Slowly, though, the Batglare lost its intensity.
"…Alright."
The Boy Wonder threw an incredulous look at his mentor before a large smile broke out over his face. "Really?"
"Yes, I'm trusting you're judgement on this one."
"Well, this a really sappy moment and all, but if you're going to help us with this then I need to send you all of my leads so far. Connect to the computer and I'll send you the files we've compiled so far."
While Robin did this he went on with his explanation, "We think that the GIW were involved in the beginning, but a week into searching for the boy, the organization was disbanded. And Phantom was gone."
"You checked the facility?" Batman asked, looking over the new data that was being streamed in onto his device from Robin.
"Of course, I checked the facility. I searched the whole thing myself, but there isn't even a trace he was there."
Skulker has always been testy when his skills are under question. He still hates me for the Purple-Back Gorilla incident, I think. But really, he was trying to kill us so…I think I'm even.
"It says here that the Ghost Investigation Ward was shut down for illegal human experimentation and misuse of government funds about nine months ago." Robin butted into the conversation without looking up from his scrolling on the mini-computer. "But it also says that a secondary privately-owned agency is on the rise: SPECTOR, a special government research team whose main objective is to capture and study ghosts."
"We'll look into it, but—." The communicator hooked on Batman's belt went off, interrupting the vigilante.
As soon as he got the communicator to his mouth he growled into it: "This better be important."
For once, the call was actually very important.
A/N: Going on a small break, but I will be back after school ends. ~~~RedRose0123
Published: 3/10/16