Hey guys! Once again, thanks to everyone that added this story to their alerts/favorites. It's really encouraging to see. Yay and mun3litKnight: I love you both. You guys rock my fish socks!
I apologize for not getting this out sooner. I was not expecting to be that busy this past week. This chapter is much longer than the others, so I hope it makes up for it.
(Additional: this is updated from the first post. I made some slight changes. Nothing major. Sorry for adding an extra notification if it did come up as new. I'll post the next chapter soon, don't worry.)
"How can you trust a man whose eyes can go from green to gone in a single night?"
~Miles Hodges, Maskless
"Bruce, I've found some information about the woman working with Jason," Barbara announced over the com-link. "I'm sending it to you now."
The batcomputer displayed a picture of a younger girl, probably in her teens, and notes Barbara had taken down along with the sources she'd compiled.
He stared at the picture, which showed the girl on a stage with a microphone. Her hair, despite her efforts to pin it down slightly, seemed to have a life of its own as the short curls spiraled in every direction, and she was frozen in time as the picture caught her in an animated gesture.
"She goes by the name of Riley. Her mother was a dancer from Haiti, but I'm still trying to figure out who her father is. It says here that her mother was murdered, but the police were unable to track down the killer."
The screen switched over to another picture of Riley, who was wearing sunglasses in an attempt to hide a black eye. "She's apparently a con-artist that works closely with Black Mask- she's probably done everything she can to stay as low profile as she can, since it was difficult to find any information relating to her. She's good, Bruce."
He recalled a conversation he overheard a while ago between Two-Face's thugs about a girl working for Black Mask that had ripped Two-Face off on a deal over bank codes, which were in fact a string of numbers to detonate a bomb. Two-Face had lost out on two million dollars and had to replace ten of his men. He hadn't given it much thought at the time. Gotham's rival factions were always sabotaging each other. Now, however, he wondered if the girl was Riley, and if there were any other subtle hints of her involvement in the crime world.
Still, it wasn't clear why Jason would recruit her. It didn't line up with his previous actions of violence, specifically targeted at dismantling Black Mask's territory. Bruce removed the cowl and began massaging his temples. "That still doesn't explain why she's working with Jason. He should've killed her by now."
It didn't make sense to him. What made Riley different from the others that worked with Black Mask? Jason didn't hesitate killing them off. There was something they were missing, and if Jason could find it, so could they.
"Hold on, I've found something else."
Barbara switched his screen to the video footage she had just uncovered. Riley was on an operating table with her arms and legs strapped down to prevent them from moving.
Standing in the corner partially hidden by shadows was the Black Mask, who looked on with interest.
An elderly man in a white coat turned to face the camera. 'Subject 57821is still incapacitated from the last round of radiation exposure, but her vitals are back to normal.' The scientist pulled forward a machine that was in the shape of an arch, with three rows of needles protruding from its underside.
'We have reached the final stage in this tedious experiment. We will inject the formula I've developed, which should interact with the high levels of radiation and allow the subject to change states of being once coming into contact with the human she desires to duplicate.' He turned slightly away from the camera to address the Black Mask. 'Shall we begin?'
The Black Mask waved him on impatiently, and as if lightening had zapped him, the scientist picked up his pace as he pushed the machine towards Riley.
Bruce and Oracle watched as the needles plunged into Riley's chest. Her body shook violently and began to glow slightly as her body processed the chemicals.
Without warning, she sat up, yanking the straps with her, and tossed the machine off to the side, only to have the needles still attached to her chest. Riley's gaze found the scientist, and she lunged towards him with her arms outreached to strangle him. Before she could reach him, the Black Mask stepped out of the shadows with a gun and shot Riley in the leg, causing her to collapse to the ground, but not before turning into the scientist's duplicate.
The video cut out, and Bruce leaned back in his chair as he continued staring at the blank screen.
"Keep looking for information, and send all of this to Dick." Batman ordered. "Let's keep an eye on Jason and try to find out what he's planning."
Riley hadn't heard anything from Jason for the next three days after he had attacked her. While she understood the shame he was probably feeling after losing control in front of her, she was slightly annoyed that she didn't have anything to do. He was supposed to be training her, and she was supposed to be helping him take out the Black Mask. His inaction resulted in her not getting paid for that week, and while she briefly considered backing out of the deal, she knew she'd be killed if she did.
What bothered her most was that she knew he had been out working and gathering more intelligence as to what the Black Mask was planning. If he was going to threaten her into working with him, the least he could do was bring her along.
Ego was the thing at stake for both of them. He was trying to save face after losing grips with reality in front of someone, and Riley was trying to prove she was just as good as he was, even if she didn't measure up to him in fighting. It was a monster that kept people at a distance from one another for fear of losing the impossible façade they created, but in the end, people always wind up with egg on their face.
Relationships, or partnerships of any kind relied on mutual trust and understanding, and the problem with ego is it makes anyone doubt themselves and others. It works its way from the core outward, and can't be contained by the boundaries of a body. In the end, everything crumbles in its wake if it isn't confronted.
And while Riley understood this conceptually, she could never admit it applied to her; could never see the ways in which it manifested in her rage towards those that seemed to underestimate her- as her father had- as Jason appeared to be doing now.
Sure, it was ego that kept him away, but she also took her lack of involvement as a slight to her abilities. How could he want to work with her one moment, and then leave her behind the next?
Restless and annoyed, she changed out of her workout clothes and into grey jeans with a pair of heals to match and a white t-shirt. She was going out whether Jason liked it or not. She was stir-crazy and craving human interaction.
She quickly jotted down the address of the place she was going so that he wouldn't become suspicious of her absence and posted it on the rickety door of his makeshift bedroom. Riley grabbed the red blazer that was draped over the chair before leaving the warehouse.
Riley was surprised to find it wasn't raining that night. She almost missed the way the city glistened, but it was a relief to not have to avoid puddles or worry about her hair getting wet.
Across the street from the warehouse was a lone payphone. It was strange to see one of those nowadays, but seeing as her cellphone had disappeared- no doubt thanks to Jason- she welcomed the site as she entered in it and dialed a number she knew by heart.
After a few rings, a familiar voice answered the call, "Hello?"
"Sam! How's it going?"
"Leigh!" She couldn't help but smile at the tenor in her friend's voice and the name she almost forgot she went by in that social sphere. "Where've you been? We all miss you!"
She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. She had been absent for almost six months, but it was the price she had to pay for living two lives. "Oh, you know, around," she laughed nervously. "Anyways, I was calling to see if y'all were still having a showcase tonight?"
"Of course! You in?"
Riley hesitated for a moment, as fear started to bubble up in her chest as she wondered if this was okay. Would Jason punish her for being in public? She pushed it down. Not like he's talking to me anyway she thought before answering, "Yeah, if you have space."
"Shoot, we always have space for you. I'll let everyone know you're coming. They'll be pumped."
With that, she hung up the phone and proceeded to walk a few blocks to catch the train to get to where she needed to be.
The train ride there was a short and quiet one for once. There were a total of three other people in the car she was in, and she made sure to keep her face down just in case any of them recognized her. Riley figured her father would be sending out a few of his men to find her.
Yes, it was risky to be out in public alone, but there wasn't a situation Riley couldn't talk herself out of. Already, she had developed three separate stories in case she ran into her father's men. Not that she was worried about it tonight. She remembered her father had some shipment coming in that night, so his men were bound to be in that particular area rather than looking for her, and she figured that's where Jason would be as well.
The train came to her stop with a screeching halt that jolted the passengers forward, and as she exited and looked all around her, she couldn't help but smile. Outside of the cathedral she frequented, this was the only other place she felt at home. The one place she could actually speak the truth and be healed from all of her past, present and future mistakes, even if she was there under a false name.
The nights she spent at the bar that housed so many of her friends through her high school and college years were etched onto her mind. They were nights that she felt heroic; that despite all of the crimes she had committed, her words atoned her actions. It was a place she felt she had control and power over people to inspire them to do better, even if she couldn't do so herself.
As she entered the bar, she was immediately greeted with a suffocating hug from Sam, who hadn't changed a bit since she had last seen him. Despite his relatively small size, he picked her up with ease and spun her around before she was passed off down through the small crowd of familiar faces, and although her injured shoulder screamed out in pain, she couldn't help but smile through the tears.
Her friend group ushered her up to the bar and bought her a drink before dispersing through the sea of unfamiliar faces around the stage at various points to support their cohorts as they spoke their truths through words and rhythm that shook the crowd to its core.
Sam stayed behind with Riley at the bar. "How've you been?" he asked over the cheers of the crowd as another person took the stage. "It's been a while."
Riley shrugged and smirked. "I've been busy with life. You know me, always on the go."
"C'mon, what have you really been up to? You too cool to hang around us anymore?" He raised an eyebrow at her and lightly punched her in the shoulder, causing her to wince. "Jesus, Leigh, I didn't hit you that hard."
His playful demeanor quickly shifted to one of brotherly concern. "Did he hurt you again?" Sam and the rest of her friend group weren't aware she was Roman Sionis's daughter, but they knew there was a history of abuse in the family.
She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "No, no. I haven't actually seen him in about two weeks." That wasn't a lie. "I just got mugged the other day, and the bastard stabbed me in the shoulder."
While it was a lie, it wasn't unheard of in Gotham. Muggings tended to become violent, so Sam believed that story. "You need to be more careful."
"I know, I know," she waved him off. "I got lazy, that's all." Riley tilted her head to the side as her grew smaller. "I've missed you guys."
"We've missed you too," he replied and gave her another hug. "Now, get ready. You're going up next. Know what you're going to do?"
Riley smiled and downed the rest of her drink. "Yup. One of your favorites."
He clapped her on the back, careful not to hit the side that was injured, before grabbing her hand and going up to the stage.
The duo ahead of her finished up their spoken word and stayed on stage, as Sam hopped up and grabbed the microphone. The crowd cheered, most of them being admirers of his. He put his hands up to quiet them.
"Our next poet is someone near and dear to my heart," he turned and motioned for her to get up on the stage. "She's been with this group from the beginning, but took a break for a while, and we are pleased to have her back here tonight. Show her some love, y'all. Please welcome Leigh Williams."
The group cleared the stage as she stepped up to the microphone. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and she welcomed the nervous adrenalin that only came when facing a large group of people and bearing your soul to them. How had she left this behind?
"You still cute as hell," someone in the crowd yelled, and Riley smiled even brighter. She wasn't entirely forgotten from this place.
Riley paused and took a deep breath as she scanned the room and centered herself.
'Mama keep asking me if I'm sure I wanted Joanne to cut my hair this short, and I know she thinking somewhere in a pot bubbling over with motherly expectations why her pretty long haired daughter went all wacky up there with those white people and trees.
'And I cannot tell her that I slept so long in the chest of a linebacker that when he didn't ask me back one night I forgot my breast and birthright, and remembered all the ugly things Cole Garrison called my poor flat chested body under the guard of my limp and lackluster limp in the fucking fourth grade...'
Dick Grayson entered the dark club, filled with people crowded around the stage. The dim light cast a purplish glow on the performer on the stage, which he immediately recognized as the woman he was looking for.
'...Mommy, I did not make a mistake in asking Joanne to cut my hair this short, it was a falling out between me and Mother Mary. She wondering why I had stopped calling on her boy, since we had been getting along so well and all. Me, don't really have the guts to get down on my knees and pray because it all feels so familiar anyways...'
Dick headed over to the bar and ordered a drink as he sat down on the barstool. He was a bit annoyed that Bruce had sent him here to observe someone that may or may not be a potential adversary. He'd rather be back in Blüdhaven doing actual work. At least the girl was cute.
'...It is morning, and someone is crying in the bathroom again about last night. Is it me? No, I am here under these sheets, trying to stay bubble gum tied at these seams. Who is that in the bathroom crying on the floor again? Ripping at the walls again? And all the shadows of him in this space making a mess out of her head again? Is it me? I must've really broken his heart if he's still here, not going away. What a monster of a memory...'
He took note in the change in her appearance from the photos and the video he was sent. She was slightly older now. He had half expected her to seem unstable, but the woman on the stage was graceful and articulate, and she clearly captivated the crowd.
He couldn't help but smile at the 'yes's' and 'mmm's he heard around the room. The bartender handed him his drink, and a young woman, just barely 18 sidled up next to him, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling. He gave her a wink and put his arm around her as they both watched. There were some things he couldn't help, especially when he felt the weight of being alone, like he did at the moment. Maybe it was good Bruce sent him here.
'... And got your got and get and left you with and, and but conjunctions. So everything you write sounds like the middle, and got your beginning, and damn sure got your end, tucked somewhere...'
Riley's eyes briefly met his gaze and he gave her a charming smile, only to have her roll her eyes at him. He took a sip of his drink and continued to look around the room. As far as he could tell, no one here worked for the Black Mask, or Jason. They were everyday people of Gotham city, so why would Riley be here if she was indeed working with Jason? According to Oracle, there was something big going down tonight.
It was then that he noticed the slight hesitation in the way she moved her body. She was injured. It wasn't too noticeable. He doubted anyone could tell. He began to wonder if that was why she wasn't with Jason at the moment.
'… What buttery spit, what sadity bitch who stole your shit, and ain't impressed by the hiccup dance that you practiced day in and day outside, inside, a monster's got your inside parts. Your breathing organs and trembling flesh…'
The girl he had been standing with waved at some friends and made a move to leave, but not before giving him a napkin with her number on it. As she turned her back, he rolled his eyes and shook his head. He almost missed being that young.
'...Shit! Did you love him all the self out of you? All the sense out of you? All the syrup off your waffles, all the crisp off your chicken. And now you're left alone, aren't you? Damn near bald, shaking like a crackhead in the bathroom stall. Is it me? No. I am here. Under these sheets. Trying to stay bubble gum tied at these seems.'
Riley gave a slight nod of the head as a thanks, and Sam helped her off the stage, giving her a hug as the crowd continued to cheer. The next poet got up on stage, and the room quieted down to hear her piece.
"I'm getting another drink," she told her friends before pushing her way to the bar, where she grabbed a list of the specials for the night and figured out what she wanted.
"May I buy you a drink?" Riley turned around to see the man that had come in late during her piece. He was much taller than she realized, and she couldn't help but smirk as she met his gaze. Why was Bruce Wayne's adopted son here? Riley always assumed they were too clean for this part of the city.
She nodded and was surprised to find he ordered her usual drink. Riley distanced herself slightly. "So, jailbait left you high and dry?" Riley pointed out as she turned slightly away from him.
He scoffed as he leaned against the bar and ran his fingers through his dark hair. "She was at least 18."
Riley rolled her eyes and then tried to catch Sam's gaze to call him over to her, but he was too enthralled with the performance to notice her. "Oh, and that's so much better." She turned so she was facing him fully now. "Why is it guys always go for girls that are so much younger than them?"
"Well, I'm buying you a drink, aren't I? You can't be too much younger than me. We're at least both old enough to drink."
Riley couldn't help but laugh. She wasn't at all surprised. They playboy mentality must be a requisite to be part of the Wayne family. "What makes you think you're my type?"
The bartender handed her the drink, which she happily accepted. "Because I have many leather-bound books, and my apartment smells of rich mahogany." He managed to get a genuine laugh from that reference.
"Ah, a man after my own heart," she joked, placing a hand over her heart.
He offered out his hand. "I'm Richard Gray-"
"I know who you are," she said, cutting him off. "Everyone in Gotham knows who you are." She then took his hand and shook it. "Leigh Williams." Riley made sure to give him her fake name. At this point, she couldn't risk anyone finding out who she was if she could help it.
"So, I'm guessing that was an old poem since you arent- what was it... damn near bald?"
"Wow, you're awfully astute."
"And your mother is happy now you have your hair back somewhat?"
Riley waved him off. "Oh no, she's dead." He had an apologetic look on his face and was about to say something, so she cut him off. "Don't worry. She died when I was young. I was just taking creative liberties.
"Well, I'm still sorry to hear that." Dick smiled and reached out to take a sip of her drink, only to have her slap his hand away.
"Hey now, this is mine." She teased. "Get your own." She turned away from him to watch the show.
Dick laughed and shook his head. "I am the one that bought it."
"Not my fault. That was your decision."
Riley tried to make her quips short and sweet to get him to leave her alone, but he either didn't take the hint, or knew exactly what she was doing and chose to ignore it.
"So, do all poets write about love?"
She turned her head and gave him a look that made him feel ridiculous for asking that question.
"You clearly haven't heard much spoken word."
He shrugged and nodded. "This is my first time at one of these things."
Riley appreciated his honesty. Most guys that were clueless tried to hide the fact. She briefly considered entertaining him a bit longer, and turned back to him, grinning. "Well, a lot of the time we address social issues since we feel as artists, we have the responsibility to shed light one reality. It's our way to fight injustice. Sure, we talk about relationships and other heartaches, but we still try to appeal to people's humanity."
Dick was a bit surprised. If Riley was working with Jason, who brought about change through violence, why would she be here promoting a peaceful route? He was just as confused as Bruce at this point. He could understand at first why she would work with Jason as a way to seek revenge against everything the Black Mask did to her, but this duality seemed strange- at least in terms of Jason's reasoning in teaming up with her.
"I'll definitely check out more of them then," he replied. "So, what made you choose this way of fighting instead of some other action?"
Riley narrowed her eyes, becoming suspicious of him and his probing. She could always tell when people were digging around for information. Luckily, before her tongue got the best of her, she felt arms snake around her waist and a head resting on her good shoulder. Sam had finally come to her rescue.
She noticed Dick tense up, and she turned to look at Sam, but instead found herself staring at Jason. "Hey babe," Jason said, smirking and glaring at Dick as he kissed her cheek. Riley tried not to tense up and shake him off, and instead mustered all of her willpower to play along. "You were great up there."
Fear bubbled up as she recognized the cool, dangerous tone in his voice. "You saw it? I thought you wouldn't show," she replied as she reached her hand up to touch his cheek and hold him at her shoulder. Riley felt small as she recognized this as another power play- another reminder that she wasn't truly her own person anymore. Why'd he have to show up now? Sure, she had left the address on the table, but she never expected him to come after her.
"I finished up work early," he explained. "I wasn't aware you two knew each other." He never took his eyes off Dick, whose fists were clenched.
"We just met," she muttered and held her chin high, trying to remain strong. "Jason, this is Richard. Richard this is-"
"We've met," Dick said, cutting her off. The charming demeanor had completely disappeared.
"Yeah, we go way back." Jason came to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Riley glanced back and saw Sam making his way towards them. She shook her head, and he paused, raising an eyebrow. "C'mon, let's go," Jason ordered, and she turned her attention back to him, but was still worried that Sam would come up and confront them.
She lowered her head slightly as she allowed Jason to lead her out of the bar, but not before shooting Sam an apologetic look.
Once outside, Jason yanked her forward so that she stumbled over her heels. "You shouldn't put yourself in the spotlight. Why'd you come here?" He pushed passed her and began walking down an ally, only to have Riley yank him back by the arm.
"Why'd you leave me behind?" she shouted back and poked him in the chest. "Why have you been avoiding me like some little coward?"
He clenched his jaw and pointed his finger. "I'm the one that demands answers. Not you."
"Well, if we're going to be a team, it needs to be a two way street. I will not be kept in the dark."
"Let's get one thing clear here," he warned as he showed her one of his guns he had tucked away in his leather jacket. "We are not a team. Don't even begin to believe this is a level playing field. You work for me. I give the orders, you follow them. Got that?"
Riley nodded, and they headed back to the warehouse in silence.
The bits of the poem I used are from Zora Howard's 'Waffles'. I am not talented enough to write original poems. Check it out to hear the rest, because it is a great poem, and I left pieces out for the sake of flow and whatnot. Please review and whatnot!