Cat Mystery-part 8
"Lovers?" Deathstroke sits the cat down on the sofa and untangles him from his favorite play toy then walks over to the balcony. "That depends on your definition of love. She was amazing in bed, but she would never commit emotionally." He pauses for a few moments looking back at the cat. "It may have been a good thing to restrain her emotions as a child and teenager." He looks up at Nightwing. "Surely even you must think that by now she can let loose and live a little."
Nightwing looks down as Nitro meows an emphatic agreement. "I don't understand how Raven could get mixed up with you."
"Not Raven, Nightingale." Deathstroke turns back to Nightwing. "Nightingale was nothing like the Raven that you remember."
"Mind filling me in on how Nightingale can be as dark as you imply while Rachel Roth has practically become a saint as far as Jump City is concerned?
"All I know about the change within her is that she found out sects of her father's cult were still in existence and she decided to wipe it out one way or another."
"So Nightingale was born because she couldn't let them find out she was Raven."
"They would have used her to bring Trigon back in heartbeat. If he were to ever be unleashed again there would be no stopping him."
"So she hired you to help her?"
"Not quite. I was hired to take out cult members corrupting the son of a very wealthy man and that is when our paths as Nightingale and Deathstroke crossed. I knew better than anyone the importance of her mission and as I am sure Nitro would tell you if he could the Nightingale persona only gets Raven into trouble. She is much darker and also more careless than Raven ever was."
Nitro again meows in agreement.
"I may have left but I kept an eye on her all this time because I knew even though the heroine in her was still there, so was Nightingale and eventually she was going to end up in trouble." He turns away from the window and faces Nightwing. "Are we going to stand here talking all night or get out there and find her?"
It seems like a lifetime ago when as Robin he worked with Slade to find Raven after Trigon was released. Can he now as Nightwing work with the mercenary Deathstroke to find the much loved Rachel and her dark Nightingale persona? He looks down at the cat that clearly trusts Deathstroke. "Any idea as to who is behind this?" He turns back to the hidden room. "She has enough to black mail every crooked business man in the city."
"I'm sure I can find out something from my old contacts. It might take some persuasion after all this time but getting them to talk won't be a problem."
"I have a police detective to get back in touch with." He takes a paper from the room which he jotted down some company names on. "I'll see what he thinks about these leads. Perhaps between the police and your contacts we'll narrow down the suspects."
He looks down at Raven's unconscious form then back up to the scientist. "You are certain she won't wake up."
"Weak as she is I very much doubt that she will ever wake again." He looks up at the boss who is looking at his watch.
"Very well then. I am off to a very important dinner meeting. I'm in a rush so on your way out have one of the guards call my wife and tell her I will be home late tonight."
The scientist watches the boss hurry out the door before he can reply. He looks down at the young woman one last time before leaving the room. She is comatose now but he still makes sure the door is locked.
The man hiding in the shadow's steps out into the dim light and leans close to Raven's ear. "Not that I'm in it for anyone other than myself but I'll continue your little game with the boss man." He presses a button on his belt and disappears from the locked room. He reappears on the roof and looks down as the boss climbs into a waiting limo. By the time he is finished with the big man he will own the company.