Tenebras Lucem Servit: The Wyvern Arrives Part XXVII
As always all characters are fictional. Wyvern, Deus, and Reaver are my characters. All other characters/locations are copyright of DC Comics and their respective creators.
The screams were all he could hear, even as the wind tried to tear all sound away from his ears. Thankfully the children had blindfolds on. That would prevent them from seeing things that would scar them emotionally for some time. The down side was that their hands were bound so they had no way to slow or control their fall. Wyvern had streamlined his body, pulling his cape tight around him to lessen any drag, and had a grapnel ready for when he was able to grab the falling children, he just hoped that he didn't run out of altitude before then, they'd all reached terminal velocity three stories ago.
The observers on the rooftop were frozen staring at the hero plummeting after the falling children. Tim let out a gasp as they came within feet of an outcropping near the fortieth floor.
"I hope he knows what he's doing." Nightwing wished they'd brought some air support for this, then he might be able to do something other that watch.
"Why wont he fire the damn grapnel?" Robin was hoping that the rescue was successful soon, he didn't want to see the kids, or his brother hurt.
"As young as those children are coupled with the speed of their descent make this way of doing things necessary. He wont fire the line until he has the children in hand." Batman was glad that Diana wasn't here, sure she could make this rescue falling down drunk, but, he'd be causing her undue worry with CJ's current problems. For some reason he was determined not to cause Diana any more discomfort if he could help it.
He could practically smell their fear: he was five feet away. He could see the gap caused by the oldest child missing her left front tooth: four feet away. He could almost count the hairs in the younger girls pigtails as her tears stained the blindfold: three feet away. The line was fired as an arm covered in almost impenetrable black armor closed around them with a gentleness belying the terrifying ordeal. As the line slowed their descent and the children's screams of terror died Wyvern finally glanced at his surroundings, they were at the fifteenth floor. Another one hundred and forty feet and this may have ended very badly. He thought they would stop sooner and as he glanced up he saw why they were so close to terra kinda firma: the grapnel had attached itself at roof level… he was so focused on saving the children that his aim was off by a fraction of an inch.
Another observer that was watching things unfold breathed a sigh of relief as the descent ended with all parties surviving. As Wyvern began to rise towards the roof the onlooker decided to stay for a few more minutes to see how they armored hero would handle this particular turn of events. The biggest question however, had already been answered for her: she was right.
"Three street pizzas made to order Gotham style. Yo, you think that armor made a good impression on the street homes?" the bodyguard seemed to be enjoying his limited ability to gloat. His chuckles were cut off as Batman and Nightwing helped Wyvern get the children up over the edge, then handed them off to Robin to be looked over for injuries and led to rejoin the rest of the freed captives. Once the children were away from the roof Batman turned towards the handcuffed bodyguard, the only one currently able to talk.
"Who were you taking these kids to punk?" Batman's voice was low and threatening as he towered over the defeated thug.
"Fuck that man, I talk I may as well cap my ass and my kin. You must be playing 5-0. I want a lawyer, I gots my rights." Before Batman could deliver a threat the thug was pulled away by Wyvern. He casually drug the bodyguard towards the edge of the roof while securing a sturdy line to his ankles.
"Uh… what the hell's he doing?" Nightwing seemed confused, Batman concerned.
"This will be the only time I ask politely, will you give us the information we need?" Wyvern was measuring out rope even before getting an answer.
"Fuck you bat boy, that sci-fi make-up ain't gonna get you shit."
Rather than make any outward show of emotion Wyvern simply threw him over the edge of the roof. The thug's howl of terror didn't stop for the entire twenty story drop. He'd managed to not dirty his shorts, barely, and was glad to be hauled up after such a relatively short fall.
"Now then, you are going to give us the information we are asking for, correct?" Despite his earlier words the glowing eyes were scaring him, almost as much as the hollow tone of his voice.
"I ain't saying shiIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT!" This time he fell twice as far down the building (he also ended up soiling himself in the process.) He was almost in tears as he was hauled back to the roof by Wyvern.
"You just fell forty stories down a seventy story building. I believe you are aware that I will add twenty stories to the line for each uncooperative answer I receive. You do the math." The criminal tried to speak, but, all that came out was a babbling whimper. Wyvern grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and started walking back towards the edge.
"That's enough Wyvern!" Nightwing couldn't stay silent any longer.
"Leave him alone, he can't even speak right now. We'll get the info, just let him have a minute." Wyvern's gaze at the now trembling bodyguard was a look one gave vermin just before stepping on them.
"We have the situation under control now Wyvern, I thank you for your help. If we need any further assistance we will contact you. Nightwing, take him inside, I'll be there shortly." Batman's dismissal gave Nightwing hope that the situation was not a bad as it had seemed. After all, Wyvern wouldn't have killed the guy… he hoped. After the now almost catatonic bodyguard was led inside, Batman motioned for his son to join him on the rooftop.
Once the door had closed Wyvern waited for the expected result of his actions.
"Son, please tell me this isn't going to be the norm for you. You can't help our city out if you are no better than the ones we fight." They were alone on the roof, no one else was watching.
"There was never going to be a third drop. I had expected either you or Nightwing to speak up sooner. He was in no mortal danger." Even though his voice had changed to an amalgam of CJ and The Wyvern, Batman still had doubts.
"This can't happen again son, I don't know what happened to make you hate these kind of people so much, but, you go down this road too many times and eventually there's no turning back." Now he removed his helm, his secondary mask the only thing hiding his identity from the mild night sky.
"I'm sorry dad, I didn't mean for you to get this concerned. This situation won't happen again." The sincerity in his son's voice was echoed in his eyes as he spoke to him.
"Go home and work through whatever issues have come up between you and Kara." for some reason this made CJ smile.
"Was wondering when you'd get around to that, age catching up to you pops?" CJ jokingly chided.
"Get out of here before I have your mother put you over her knee." Bruce riposted.
She couldn't believe that he'd done what he did. Throwing the man off the roof was something she'd never considered, even before she saw the line attached to his ankles. Once she'd listened to the conversation she, like Batman, knew that he was telling the truth: he wouldn't have caused the cuffed crook anymore undue harm (save for his dignity). Once the Moon Dragon had come in to pick him up Kara knew she needed to make herself scarce. As she got back to her apartment she found that she had a guest.
"Hey Kara how are… you okay?" Cassie noticed something was different about her best friend.
"I was right about him Cassie." tears of joy sparkled in Kara's eyes as she zipped around her apartment.
"Whoa, slow down and talk to me. You were right about who?" she wondered if Kara knew how hard it was to hold a conversation with a blur.
"About CJ, I was right the whole time." she'd stopped, but now she had a duffle bag.
"Wait, what happened to my cousin?" Cassie put her hands on Kara's shoulders to hold her in place, she wanted answers.
"They broke up a human trafficking ring. Cassie, I watched him jump off a roof and dive down a skyscraper to save two children he didn't even know. He never gave it a second thought, he just dove after them." Cassie smiled as Kara spoke, they were both right about him.
"Guess that puts all that shit Clark was spewing in the garbage. Now, where do you think you're going with that bag?"
"Where do you think? I'm not leaving Gotham until CJ and I have talked things over." With that she was out the door.
By the time the G.C.P.D had taken the traffickers for booking CJ had gotten back to the Lair, showered and tried (unsuccessfully) to sleep. He was almost to the point of using his least liked method, sleeping pills, when there was a knock at the door.
"Deus?" CJ really hoped that Dick hadn't come to talk about his actions that evening, Talking with his father on it had been more than enough for him.
"Uh, CJ… you're definitely going to want to talk to this visitor." CJ really doubted that… at this point there was only one person that he wanted to talk to and tomorrow he planned on going to repair the damage he'd done with how he'd acted previously. He got to the front door with the decision to politely excuse himself from conversation as soon as possible, except for Clark (he'd get the door and possibly a fist slammed in his face.) What greeted him on the other side of his door was something that would make his mother smile with knowing vindication. CJ stood there for a few moments of stunned silence before he managed to find his voice again.
"Kara…"