Author's Note: After seeing the Batman Sequel I have been inspired! Woohoo! Thank you so much for your insights and reviews!
9.
Athena left the hospital and found three men in suits waiting by the sporty looking car she had borrowed from Bruce's garage. Keys in hand she considered going back inside, but then decided against it since she was armed. And the men were not in designer suits, obviously not mobsters.
Still, she adjusted the keys in-between her fingers like a claw.
When they spotted her in the shadowy garage they pointed.
Obviously looking for her. Which bummed her out, she was really looking forward to going to bed. So she paused a good six car lengths away from them, incase she had to make a run for it.
"Who are you? Don't you know it's not safe to loiter in Gotham City? Especially in a parking garage."
Two flashed her a badge.
A federal badge.
"That's really not safe in Gotham," she amended.
"You contacted us," the one who didn't flash a badge told her. She shifted her weight on her hip and looked upwards, sighing, and then she walked the rest of the way to the car, "Yeah well, that was almost a year ago. Forget it now. You people really need to get on the ball."
She unlocked the car.
One of the badge men inquired, "Is this Bruce Wayne's car?"
Athena climbed in, "Ummhmm."
The guy who didn't hold up his badge grabbed the door, thus preventing her from closing it and going home. "We will be able to protect you, just as your requested. Do you think your playboy boy toy will be able to do that?"
She narrowed her tired dark eyes.
Again, she tried to close the car door.
Again he prevented her from doing so.
With a sigh she rubbed her stiff neck, "What do you want me to tell you? I contacted you for help in exchange for information. I no longer need your help, and the information is outdated. If I were you I'd get a new office staff."
"Your brother is the current crime boss of Gotham."
"Current," Athena corrected, and then added, "And he's not so happy about it. Last he told me he's thinking of leaving. So you'll have a different big fish to chase after soon."
Once more she tried to close her car door.
Once more he prevented it and leant in closer, "We could arrest you."
She dropped her car keys and leant the rest of the way. Their noses touched.
"Go ahead, I dare you. But the charges better be good cause I can tell you right now, my lawyer will be better." In tradition of her feisty Greek ancestor's Athena smiled cockily.
Later that day…
Lt. Gordon just happened to be on his way back from the bathroom. He just happened to have been on the downstairs one, since the one on his floor had an overflowing toilet.
It was sheer luck that he noticed Athena.
Athena handcuffed to a bench in the hallway, on her back with her free arm tucked behind her head, napping.
Confused, he strolled on over.
Softly tapping her shoulder.
Her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at the policeman. "Hi," she managed, then asked, "Could you get me a pillow? My neck hurts."
He looked around at the bustling station.
Then back to her as she tried to get comfy.
"Athena? I don't mean to be rude…but why are you here handcuffed to a bench?"
"I escaped," she told him proudly.
"Escaped?"
She nodded, sending her dark hair cascading over the side of the bench. "Yeah…I was on the fourth floor. But I dragged this here bench into the elevator and made it down here. It's nice and quiet down here."
"Yes it is," he rubbed his stubbly chin. Then chewed on his lip, "Why are you handcuffed to this bench?"
A group of passing road officers gave her weird looks. She informed Lt. Gordon that, "I am apparently being held for withholding evidence."
Both his eyebrows rose.
She added, "A year ago I called the feds. I wanted to move and I offered them plenty of information on the mob here, and they just got back with me. You can imagine how much things have changed. Now they think I'm withholding stuff. Morons."
He was speechless.
She nodded, "I know, right?"
With a motion to remain seated, Gordon told her, "Let me go call some people. I'll put you down as one of my informants. So just stay here."
She jiggled the handcuffs, "Gotcha." He made a weak smile and hurried off. Once away she dropped down on the hard bench. But was not alone. There was a man seated at the end of it. He looked down at her frowning and smiling at the same time.
He was also handcuffed to the bench.
Quite a bit of scar tissue surrounded the edges of his mouth.
"The feds get you too," she inquired.
He shook his head.
Licked his lips and leant close to her, speaking softly, "I'm here following a tip."
Both her eyebrows rose.
He nodded and smiled slightly, pleased with himself, "I wanted to see just how easy it was to get in here. Not that hard."
Athena glanced at the cuffs on his wrist.
"A miss-understanding," he clarified and she nodded, not really believing him. But not really caring.
"Riggght…wake me up if that police man comes back."