Chapter 14: Making Head Way.
Crimson flipped one thug over his shoulder and Red Bird spun off the back of another thug and smashed his out stretched leg into the man's face sending him flying into the two other thugs running at them. The thugs were all wearing black over alls and gas masks and black fingerless gloves. As Red Bird landed from his tag team attack with Crimson, Crimson grabbed his sidekicks arm and spun him around sending him knee first into the last standing thug, sending him against the wall of the apartment building. Crimson grabbed the thug by the gas mask's strap and lifted him up over his head letting the man's legs dangle under him.
"Where's Talisman?!" Crimson's mechanical voice dripped with venom as Red Bird sat atop the unconcience thugs.
"Listen man I swear I dont know!" The thug said terrified. "He gives us orders through text only! He's a loony son a bitch man that's all I know!"
Crimson pulled the man closer to his helmet covered face. "If I find out you're lying, I'm making a trip to StoneHill Prison, got it?"
"Wha-" The thug started but a headbutt from Crimson knocked him out.
Crimson sat with the burn phone in his hands as Red Bird watched the SIGHT team arrest the Humiliators that they are just beaten to a pulp with in the run down apartment complex. Captain Patty Blair laughed at the crow graffiti across the door of the complex and smiled to herself as Zane and Quintell loaded the last of the Humiliators into a police van.
"What are you thinking back there Crimson?" Red Bird asked never turning around to stare at him.
"That device on Talisman's chest." Crimson tossed Red Bird the burn phone and leaned over the edge of the building to watch S.I.G.H.T. clean up the scene. "It gave him gas like Scarecrow's and then increased his body mast the way the drug Venom does for Bane."
"You thinking chemist then?" Red Bird asked as he went through the burn phone and found only one text from a blocked number. The text reading the address of the apartment building they had followed the Humiliators too.
"Makes since." Crimson said as he watched a few more police car show up and an argument break out between Blair and some other detectives. "You think we should help them out?" Red Bird looks up from the phone and scoffs at the sight of the detectives fighting and goes back to the phone. "Yeah I didnt think so."
"Vice matter?!" Captain Blair shouted. "Humiliators fall under the jurisdiction of S.I.G.H.T. cause of them having affiliations with Talisman you pencil pushing moron!" Zane and Quintell grabbed their much smaller captain's arms and held her back as the Vice Detectives laughed at her.
"Orders are orders Captain." One detective laughed.
"Orders my ass." Zane said sharply stepping up to the detectives. "Orders from the Capolinos or Anders am I right?"
"Watch your mouth Zane!" The other detective said as he stepped up to Zane. "Dont wanna throw around accusations with out proof now do you?"
Quintell stepped up this time and grabbed one detective by the head and shoved him face first into the apartment complex's door frame.
"Oooh Red Bird you might wanna watch this, it's getting good now!" Crimson smiled under his helmet as Red Bird was focusing on the scene below them now as well.
"You see that you little prick?" Quintell asked as Zane held the other detective back. "That there is calling card of the Vigilante calling himself Crimson! Which means he was here! Which makes this a S.I.G.H.T. Investigation considering we have an open case file on this lunatic and am trying to bring him in for Obstruction of Justice! Now unless who ever gave you those orders wanna get that guy's attention," Quintell looked over at his captain and winked at her smiling as the Detective tensed up, "They dont wanna step on S.I.G.H.T.'s Investigations. Got it?"
"Got it." The detective said causing Quintell to let him go and he ran to his car with his partner in tow. The two sped off leaving the S.I.G.H.T. members alone with the Humilitors cuffed and packed inside the police van.
"Not bad Detectives." A mechanical voice came from above them. The three looked up and saw Crimson and Red Bird perched on top of the fire escape of the neighboring building. "Would have skipped the Lunatic part myself. Deranged sure."
"Dont forget egotistical." Red Bird scoffed.
"That too." Crimson nodded. "But certainly not a lunatic."
"A grown man running around with a child in tights fighting crime?" Blair laughed as she tried to push her wild black hair down. "Sounds like lunatic behavior."
"You have an open file on us?" Crimson asked ignoring Blair's flirting tone.
"Yes we do." Blair said as she stepped under the escape as Quintell and Zane each walked back to the van and secured it. "Not that we're making much head way with the investigation. And we are putting SOOOO much man power into."
"Good to see Gorge City's best doing what they can." Crimson this time with the flirty attitude making Red Bird roll his eyes and cross his arms. "We're going to need a copy of those files."
"What am I gonna get out of it?" Blair asked smiling.
"A cleaned up city." Red Bird scoffed and shook his head. "Can we cut the flirting and get back to business."
Crimson sighed and crossed his arms as well. "Fine Red Bird." Blair laughed and placed one hand on her hip and held the other by her side. "We are working on tracking Talisman's location."
"What happened on making a move on Capolino?" Blair asked.
"Put on hold." Crimson dropped the burn phone down towards Blair. "Take that. We got we needed off of it."
"And this is?" Blair asked as she caught the phone in her still gloved covered hand.
"One of the Humiliator's burn phone. It's how Talisman communicates with his men. See if forensics can get anything off it. We'll be in touch." Crimson explained.
"You know we really need a way to get a hold..." Blair looked up and saw the vigilantes long gone. "I wonder if Gotham has this problem with Batman."
Damian sat in his class room and rolled the pencil around uninterested in the lesson of the day, the homework for the night all ready completed sitting on his desk forgotten. He looked over at Jenni sitting next to him and noticed she was looking back at him with half closed eyes. Once Jenni saw Damian staring at him she quickly turned her face away and blushed deeply.
'What in the world?' Damian thought confused. 'Why was she staring at me like that?' Damian turned his head away again but watched from the window as Jenni looked back at him and she saw her smile and blush more as she twirled her long black hair around her finger.
The bell rang, mercifully, signalling the end of the day. Damian gathered his school bag and placed the homework on the teacher's desk who saw Damian and sighed. It had been a regular occurrence for Damian to finish his work in class and the teacher looked at it once before placing an 'A' in the corner. He knew better by this point to even bother grading it. He knew all the answers were right.
Damian made his way to the front of the school where he saw Todd's El Camino sitting right out in the front of the school with the hood opened and Todd, still in his work jumpsuit fiddling around the engine. Damian turned dark red in embarrassment as many of the students laughed at watching Jason curse and jiggle around the engine compartment.
"Todd what on earth are you doing?" Damian asked as he shielded his face with his hand.
"She stalled on me as I pulled to a stop Demon Spawn," Jason answered never looking up, "Chill the fuck out would ya?"
"Uh-hem." Jason lifted his head up causing himself to brain himself on his hood as Damian turned around shocked. Jason looked up from his engine rubbing his head to see a small asian girl with long black hair standing next to a taller white woman with similar features to the girl but with brown hair. "Not exactly a way to speak around children do you think?"
"Oh uh..." Jason took the woman in and nearly whistled aloud. Her body rivaled Barbra's except her breast being nearly two cup sizes smaller and her hips being just a bit wider. "Sorry. I'm Jason. Damian's older brother."
"Veronica." The woman said never moving towards Jason. "This is my daughter, Jenni."
"Hey Jenni." Jason smiled and looked down at Damian at his side who was staring at the young girl confused. "Damian," Jason nudged his brother who looked at him confused.
"What I know Jenni she's in my class." Damian spoke matter of factly. "I dont need to introduce myself to her."
"What about her mom?" Jason laughed and sent a pained smile towards Patricia.
"You already introduced me." Damian rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"Its ok Mister Wayne." Veronica said to Jason who looked around confused. "Are you ok?"
"Huh?" Jason said asked looking back at Veronica. "Oh yeah, you said Mister Wayne so I was looking around for Bruce." Jason laughed this time making Veronica confused. "My last name is Todd. I should have been more specific. I'm Damian's adopted older brother. Bruce Wayne adopted me when I was kid."
Veronica laughed and nodded her head. "Right. I should have known that, I use to be obsessed with Bruce Wayne when I was a kid. At least until I met Jenni's father. I was 17 he was 20 and we had this blessing." Veronica smiled down at her daughter who smiled up at her mother. "Proper introductions though. Veronica Heyfield." Patricia said holding her hand out for Jason.
Jason's eyes flashed for a moment before reaching out to shake her hand. "Pleasure."
"We just came over because Jenni has something to ask Damian dont you Jenni?" Veronica smiled down at her daughter.
"Mooom.." Jenni blushed again and turned away from all of them. Jason smiled big and looked down at Damian who looked up at him and the older brother wiggled his eyes brow up and down. The motion made Damian blush just as deep.
Jenni looked back at Damian and took a deep breath. "Anata wa itsuka Damian o benkyo shitaidesu ka?" (Would you like to study sometime Damian?) Jenni asked hurriedly in Japenese. Damian blushed deeply as Jason held back a snicker.
Before Damian could answer Jason leaned down and smiled at Jenni. "Kare wa ikutsu anata to Jenni o benkyo suru no ga daisukidesu." (He would love to study with you sometime Jenni.) Jason answered also in Japenese. Veronica smiled at Jason and looked impressed.
"I have no clue what she asked or what you said but I'm sure it has something to do with studying? I hope." Veronica laughed.
"It does." Jason laughed. "Bruce wanted us kids to be multi lingual so we studied three or four languages." Jason laughed. 'Three or four dozen it seems.' He thought.
"When's a good time for you both?" Veronica asked as she pulled out her purse and a badge fell to the ground. Jason and Damian looked at it and Damian looked back at Jason who nearly nodded his head. Veronica pulled her notepad from her purse and shook her head. "Sorry I get scattered brain and forget about my badge. I am," Veronica coughs and stuffs the badge back into her purse, "I'm a detective in Homicide at Gorge City Police."
"I'm a grease monkey at Sludgy's Tire Shop." Jason laughed. "I see enough cops to not worry about anything. And how about we leave that up to the kids? I work a lot at the shop and you being a cop I'm sure you're busy as..." Jason looked at all the kids around him and remembered Alfred's words in his head, "All heck so lets let Damian and Jenni decide when they're ready. We've got to get going though and I've got to finish getting this thing running so."
"Oh right!" Veronica laughed and shook her head as Jenni blushed and smiled at Damian who looked uninterested and stood with his back against the El Camino rolling his eyes at Jason. "Well it was pleasure meeting you Mister Todd."
"Same to you Mrs. Heyfield." Jason smiled.
"Miss Heyfield." Veronica corrected as she and Jenni hopped into her yellow and green jeep before smiling and waving to them and driving off.
Jason looked at Damian and smirked before going back under the hood and messing around with the engine some more. Damian stayed at the side of the car and waited for the smart remark that Jason was building up. Finally Damian stepped up beside his brother and dropped his bag on the ground.
"Alright Todd get it off your chest."
"She's cute." Jason stated as he lifted from the engine and walked around to the driver's side door and started the El Camino with no problem. "Damn I'm good!" Jason praised himself as he got back out and closed the hood.
"That's it?" Damian asked as he picked up his bag and got into the passenger seat. "No remarks about her liking me?"
"I'm not Dick, Demon Spawn." Jason snorted as he pulled out onto the street. "Though I got you the date you best behave you little shit."
"It wont be a date." Damian blushed. "It'll be a study gathering."
"With two adolescence who are on the verge of puberty." Jason agreed smiling. "Damian its ok to have fun. In our line of work we need it more then most. Besides," Jason smiled big and looked at Damian out of the corner of his eye, "Jenni Heyfield-Wayne has a nice ring to it."
"Screw you Todd." Damian said through gritted teeth making Jason laugh. "Besides her last name isnt Heyfield. Its Yontuga. Jenni Yontuga. Her mother and father split after she was born."
Jason shrugged and smiled again. "Hey at least she's cute right?"
"I dont know." Damian leaned down in his seat and rubbed his eyes. "Is that what's really important right now?"
"You're right." Jason nodded with a very serious look on his face. "We need to think about what's really important." Damian looked up at Jason impressed. "Like how Jenni is gonna grow up and be a knock out like her mother. Damn did you see her ass Demon Spawn? Like POW DAMN right in your face!" Jason said still serious as he motioned one hand around his face.
Damian groaned and fell back into his seat as Jason continued on for the rest of the drive.
Crimson stepped into the office followed by Red Bird as the S.I.G.H.T. team were busy at their desks. Crimson looked up at the big bulletin board against the wall with a picture of Talisman taken from security cams linked to a list of names of know Humiliators. To the picture of Talisman were strings connected to pics of Harold and Johnathan Capolino and strings of them to a female unknown to Crimson and strings from the two brothers to Trevor Anders who had so many strings coming off of him to so many small pictures that Crimson gave up trying to figure them all out. On the bottom of the board were pictures of Red Bullet and Ironess and in the center of the board was a rough drawing of his graffiti crow and a smaller bird drawing next to it with two strings coming off of them to all of the other pics. On a smaller board behind Captain Blair's desk sat the same picture of the birds to a list that read 'Suspects of Crimson' where Elvis, Big Foot, and to Red Bird's amusement, a picture of Einstein sticking his tongue out.
"Things going well I see." Crimson spoke loudly causing the three members of S.I.G.H.T. to raise up and point their guns at Crimson and Red Bird who stood against the wall. "Really by now you think you lot were use to this."
Blair holstered her glock and sighed. "You really need to announce yourself better. What if someone else was in here?"
"We've been here for ten minutes Captain." Red Bird acknowledged. "We may not look it, but we are smarter then you give us credit for."
"What are you two doing here?" Quintell sat back in his chair and turned around to look at them.
"Files." Crimson said casually. "We need all the info you have on Talisman."
"And in return we get?" Zane asked.
"The cell phone." Crimson said crossing his arms.
Zane went to say something but stopped and shrugged and nodded his head in defeat. He tossed a flash drive to Crimson and Blair stood up proud. Crimson turned with Red Bird and went to exit but were stopped.
"I told ya'll that secret entrance would come in handy!" Crimson stopped and smiled under his mask. He turned around and stepped up to Blair's desk and placed a small piece of paper on the desk.
"Look into that for me." Crimson said casually. "It may help with that communication problem you mentioned last time." Zane and Quintell looked to each other as Blair looked at the piece of paper.
When the detectives looked up the vigilantes were gone again.
"Oh come on!" Zane said loudly. "That's just showing off!"
