Chapter 20
Croc was probably fine. I'm confident that when I get back to the mill he'll be there. Definitely. There's no way he'd let Batman take him in that easy. No way. Really, I had no reason to be worried.
I paid the cab fare and limped towards my apartment. Batman knows where I live, he knows I have connections within the Gotham crime world, and I'm sure my home wasn't safe anymore. I'd just grab some things and go. At least that's what I had planned, however after I had packed up a few clothes, pain medicine, laptop, and some toiletries in my book bag I ended up showering and taking a break on my futon.
"Get up Bambi." I jerked awake, heart slamming in my chest and looking around my shitty apartment in a panic. Throwing my bag on I lamented my lost crutch and stalked worriedly through my home. Was there somebody here? Chancing a look out my window, irrationally worrying that Batman was outside fucking with me, I caught site of two GCPD officers leaving their squad car and entering my apartment complex.
"Fuck," I choked and shuffled as fast as I could out of the room. Dragging my gimpy self along with the help of the water stained walls I got to the stairs and practically fell down the flights in my haste. Emerging from the stair access door in the lobby I was pushing through the entrance doors when I heard them.
"Police! Get on the ground!" the officers hollered from the elevator doors. Letting out a loud whine I bolted down the street. What was the point of running? I can't outrun or out maneuver anyone in this state. Huffing and limping as fast as I could I heard more police screams and running boots fast approaching.
"Bambi!" I jerked towards the sound of my name, spotting a yellow cab door popping open. I didn't even think, just launched into the cab. One of the police officers had caught up and grabbed my casted leg. Screaming, I flipped onto my back and slammed my good foot into his stomach, sending the cop stumbling away before I jerked the door shut and my backseat companion shouted for the driver to go.
Gasping for breath and watching as the officers quickly faded out of sight, I turned to the other person in the cab. Eddie grinned back at me, "morning, cupcake."
"What," I continued to gasp for breath, "did you bug my apartment?"
"Myself and others," he shrugged. I nodded, wiping sweat off my brow. So it was his voice I'd heard.
"Okay, I'll forgive that because it helped, so thanks," I conceded. Eddie rolled his eyes; "I don't need nor want your permission for my hobbies, Bambi."
I didn't bother responding and just slouched into the back seat. "You know before all this shit with super criminals my life was pretty easy," I said.
"Amazing how our lives are so malleable when it comes to the touch of others," he agreed. Staring out the window I saw we were getting closer to Sionis Industries.
"Am I getting dropped off?"
"I certainly don't have any more need of you today." I turned to Eddie, noting how odd his choice in eyewear was. "I guess I owe you," I observed as the cab pulled to a stop. He smiled to himself, leaning an elbow on the door and resting his cheek in his hand, "it's good to see you've retained basic logic. See you around Miss Dahl." I bid him goodbye and climbed out of the vehicle, dumbfounded by how the last few hours had worked out so smoothly. Tightening the straps on my shoulders I waved as Eddie's cab pulled away before turning and shuffling towards the mill. My gut tightened at the thought of what this weird guy would need from me later, but I pushed the thought from my mind. The inevitable would come to pass I suppose there was no point in worrying about it. Instead I could panic about the state of Black Mask after the botched weapons deal. I tightened my jaw; hopefully he wouldn't take the frustration out on me.
I don't know what I expected when I entered the steel mill, but the complete desertion was not it. Hesitating in the entranceway, I wondered whether Black mask had been tipped off to a raid and skipped town with his men. No, he was too proud to abandon his own building. Something heavy thudded, making me jump. It was coming from the shipping floor. Taking a deep breath I approached that side of the building and pushed through the doors.
Chaos.
Llana and Black Mask stood inside of the doorway observing the mayhem. The scaffolding erected to hold steel girders, crates, and shipping containers was torn and knocked to the floor. Men scrambled through the equipment, some of them taking up positions on the broken towers and watching as Croc and Black Mask's enforcer wrestled amidst the debris. Dry bags of cement mix had been torn open, dust clouding the air as martial-artists circled the warring men. I slapped a hand over my chest, sighing in relief that everyone seemed okay. Black Mask glanced over his shoulder at me.
"While I live and breath, it's Dollface," he snorted. I nodded, glancing between he and Llana when she tossed me a charming grin. "Skipping out on us?"
"Sorry Sir, I was injured during the deal and had to get patched up before I came back," I apologized. My boss shrugged one shoulder, turning back in time to see Croc bellow and lift the huge enforcer off the ground. Just when it appeared he'd rip the man in half, one of the thin martial-artists darted forward and struck the green assassin in the gut, forcing him to drop his prey.
"Croc's been acting up since your lot came back. I couldn't give a damn as long as my guns got here but he's making a mess," Black Mask complained. I spared the offending man a worried look as Llana slapped me on the back.
"As much fun as I have watching all this, he's ripped up a few too many of Roman's men. Please calm him down, darling," she smiled at me. I blinked at her. "What makes you think he won't just rip me in half?" I asked, looking down at the obvious blood lust. Llana rolled her eyes and shoved me towards the chaos with a surprisingly powerful push.
Stumbling down the stairs I ended up pitching forward and flopping onto my stomach. Ignoring the couple's chuckling I pushed up off the pile of shattered wooden palettes I'd landed on. Croc was swinging his heavy arms around, trying to claw the acrobatic martial-artists as they darted just out of his reach. Taking a deep breath I got to my feet and tried to maneuver through the trashed warehouse floor, which only landed me on my butt again. I could hear Black Mask and Llana laughing their asses off at my clumsy struggle but I could really care less. Not getting accidentally killed by Croc was my main focus. Why was he acting this way to begin with?
I managed to get about ten feet closer before I tripped again and somehow wedged my cast under a girder. Fucking talent. Croc had managed to snag one of the Kung-Fu guys by the pant leg and was dragging the man towards his jaws. "Croc don't!" I shouted. His claws went slack just long enough for the man under his paw to skitter out of his grip. I jumped when he turned his wild eyes towards me. Before I could get another word in he'd moved impossibly quick, slamming his fists into the debris around me. I yelped, collapsing onto my back.
The bloodlust was evident in his wide eyes, the pupils dilated and focusing in on my own. I took quick panicked breaths as he drug a hand through the broken scaffolding near my head. Not moving in case it might provoke him. I licked my cracked lips.
The entire shipping floor was silent as he crouched over me, waiting for what he might do. Trying to ignore my own panicking heart, I reached a shaky hand up. The moment my fingers pressed into his knuckles, his eyes refocused. Croc leaned back and tossed the girder pinning me off before he skulked to the sewer access. I remained lying on my back, staring up at the ceiling. What the fuck.
Forcing myself off the ground, I winced at the sting in my abdomen. Fucking bullet wounds. Looking back at the masked mob boss and his girl, they were both watching me thoughtfully.
"Go make sure he's under control," Black Mask ordered before he threw an arm over Llana's shoulders and led the two of them out of the warehouse. I groaned, rubbing dust off my face and headed over to the sewer hatch.