Chapter Three
Deep in the dark alleyways of the city, a lone figure snuck about near the shadows, a short but slim human girl with olive skin and hazel eyes, sporting a bob cut of slivery-blonde hair that draped over her left eye completely and wearing a tight suit of black and and dark-brownish-purple. Andrea "Andie" Murphy", known as certain others as simply "Mist", one of few to go by that particular alias.
She looked about frantically, expecting at least one other person to be nearby, hopefully one of her friends, but no one, no one remotely close by that she could recognise. The endless ambience of distant droning and sinister silence were already getting to her, shoulders tensing up and breaths shortening. Right now, confronting a friend or foe, familiar or unfamiliar, would be the least she could ask for.
"Chasing shadows, I see?" A soft yet deep male voice break the near-silence, throwing Mist into a brief jump of fright. "Or is it the shadows that are chasing you?" Out of the dark came him, the Killer Wasp, staring through Mist with a luring gaze and hint of a smile.
"Just got separated from my friends during a mission," Mist briefly explained as soon as she caught back her breath. "Now I'm having to look for them".
"Aren't we all?" Killer Wasp sighed. "I could help with that. That is, if you're willing to help me as well".
"Help? With what?" Mist questioned. "Wait, are you a metahuman too?"
"Pretty much obvious," Killer Wasp lightly shrugged before he approached her. "Wanna know my gifted ability?"
"What is it...? Who are... you?" Just as Mist was even beginning to speak further, something else was getting into her, causing her speech to slow down, her words to spread out, and even her shoulders to ease down.
"You like boys too, huh?" Killer Wasp lightly and verbally teased. "Same here". He gazed down and back up this young woman, admiring her form and look, before he slipped a few fingers through Mist's hair covering her eye and slowly stroked down it. "Quite the beautiful girl you are. I even dig that nose-piercing you got there". He stared right into that uncovered right eye of hers, now seemingly turning almost cloudy. "Why don't you show me your power?" He asked politely before taking a few steps back as precaution.
Under thrall and command, Mist closed her eyes and spread her arms just before her body and hair morphed into a clear yet white gaseous form still vaguely shaped like her human self as her suit dropped to the floor completely. Killer Wasp watched with one elbow resting on one hand while stroking his chin with his other hand.
"Quite impressive," Killer Wasp noted, literally looking through her. "You might indeed prove useful to me". After enthralling a mayor and a scientist, he was fortunate enough to gain control over a metahuman. "Now let's find those friends of yours..."
Atop one of the many skyscrapers beneath the bright-grey clouds that dared conceal the entire sky from any sight, the four Robins had already gathered together while somewhat scattered about and looking outward at the city all around. Nightwing and Red Robin stood firmly with a leg each on a ledge, Red Hood sat close by while adjusting one of his pistols, and Robin wandered back and forth, softly kicking at a few bits of gravel.
"You sure they're even gonna show up?" Robin spoke up with clear doubt in mind.
"I know it so, Damien," Nightwing replied. "We just need enough patience".
"Maybe superheroes like us are supposed to be nocturnal," Red Hood lightly joked. "And only at night do we actually meet on rooftops for chit-chat, because daylight apparently isn't cool enough, is it?"
Nightwing glanced at Red Hood with a cocked brow, not even bothering to answer that one. Just then, another figure climbed up to the building top and into view, a fiercely muscular man in a costume of all black and a mask that resembled the face and ears of a feline. The four Robins quickly turned their heads to one direction and see the feline man casually approaching them.
"Well if it isn't Black Panther," Robin openly joked.
"That's Wildcat," Red Robin elbowed him on the side.
"The very original," Wildcat himself greeted.
Soon afterwards, another costumed hero leapt into view out of seemingly nowhere, one most certainly familiar to the Robins. A slender and feminine yet still fit and muscular form donned in a suit, outer cape, and bat-mask of all-deep-black as well as gloves, boots, utility belt, inner cape, stylised bat symbol, and long wavy hair of all-bright-red.
"Batwoman, about time you turned up," Red Hood exclaimed as he got back up to his feet. "Preoccupied with cruising?"
"I stick to one cruise," Batwoman caught on to Red Hood's innuendo. "Besides, you did name the place, but didn't exactly name the time however," she retorted before looking to Nightwing. "So what's going on?"
"To cut to the chase, Mayor Melinda has out of nowhere been expressing anti-metahuman sentiment and rhetoric," Nightwing got quick to the point. "On top of that, one of the head scientists at Cadmus Labs, Amanda Spence, has been confirmed missing".
"Perhaps a kidnapping and attempting to frame heroes like us?" Batwoman speculated.
"Not out of possibility," Nightwing responded. "But even then, Melinda wouldn't really be quick to believe such, let alone escalate into the remarks she has said. It's very likely she's being controlled and manipulated".
"But even then, the main question of who or what still remains?" Red Robin stepped in.
As soon as such a questioned was asked once more, Wildcat especially took a deep thought about it, sensing something reaching back into his mind. A memory, a recollection, an old foe.
"So these people are either missing or mind-controlled?" Wildcat spoke up.
"Seems so," Nightwing said. "Why?"
"Because this reminds me of a certain nemesis I fought some time ago but hadn't seen much of since," Wildcat continued putting together. "Killer Wasp. Little is known about his past or even his identity, but he has had something of a reputation of his own. One time, he captured a bus load of cheerleaders and then used them to commit a bank heist for him. You may consider him an agent provocateur".
"So maybe this Killer Wasp is the one controlling Melinda," Red Hood took a wild yet hopefully lucky guess. "Doesn't he have the ability to enthrall most women?"
"And some men," Batwoman added. "Renee and I encountered him once, and he didn't seem to affect us at all... ...His electro-blasts though, quite painful even with the insulation of the suit".
Hearing most of this, Nightwing himself was briefly reminded of another more infamous foe he certainly knew of before getting back into focus. "Well then, if any of this is indeed true, we're gonna have to find evidence that may prove and support this". He looked back at the skyline as he continued. "Most importantly, we have to find what he's really up to, what he's truly planning, and who would be next..." Deep down, he knew Melinda well enough that he hoped to find some sense in her again. "Wildcat, if you have any information regarding this Killer Wasp, collect together as much as you could and meet up with Batman. He can handle the rest with you".
"I shall do that," Wildcat nodded.
"Batwoman," Nightwing went to her. "Find Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon. Tell them that they and the police department need to keep a strong lookout".
"Consider that done," Batwoman affirmed.
"As for us?" Red Hood questioned.
"I think we still know what we're gonna do..." Nightwing hinted.
Underneath the city streets in the wide and vast subway intersection, few trains have shunted by, if even any at all. A series of dim buzzing lights spread across the walls of the area, and the very air itself sun deep and hollow. Leaning casually against one of the many almost rusting metallic rail pillars was a man in all dark-grey body-armour, mask, and hood, with a bright-red thick utility belt and a few thin red trims throughout the suit. Swinging from one finger was a handgun of intricate design, and hanging around his back was a rifle with a long strap.
"Acero, the finest hitman that Colombia could ever offer," a familiar winged figure of black and yellow walked into view towards the hitman. "You may not be Bloodsport or Deadshot, but you come pretty close enough".
"Killer Wasp," Acero vaguely recognised. "I heard about you as well, my compadre. You fought the Wildcats and the Justice Society, have you not?"
"On occasion," Killer Wasp answered. "But I got other plans. Plans that I think you can help out with".
"What plans?" Acero questioned, placing his pistol into his holster on the red belt.
"I happen to have the mayor of Bludhaven herself under my thrall, Melinda Zucco or Melinda Greyson-Lin as she wants to call herself now," Killer Wasp explained. "As well as the head scientist at Cadmus Labs, and even a rather young and bright metahuman. She's even with me right now in fact". He glanced back to signal over just before a familiar silver-blonde girl followed from behind the dark as well. Her face still hung in a silent trance. "Meet my new friend, Mist. She's a very gaseous fella, if you catch my drift". He patted on Mist's shoulders from behind her with both hands.
"Oh I can imagine," Acero observed the dark-skinned girl. "So what do you actually have in mind for them?"
"I'm having Melinda smear those so-called 'heroes', if not all metahumans, as we speak," Killer Wasp elaborated further. "Whatever she says or expresses, the people will no doubt eat it up, even in spite of her background and a possible scandal she got herself in with her bodyguard and spilled the beans to me. As for my scientist friend, Miss Amanda Spence of Cadmus, she's working on a little project for me, and Mist here shall be part of a little, or rather big, diversion". He then walked forth to Acero again. "And I want you to work with her, along with maybe a few others I'm also considering".
"How much would you be paying at least, señor?" Acero asked with arms crossed and folded. "I don't come cheap, you know. Bear in mind, I used to work for drug dealers and even the mafia. But lately, I had to take orders from some clown queen in a suicide squad".
"So I heard," Killer Wasp nodded, knowing who exactly Acero was referring to. "How about a fifty-thousand dollars worth? Plus a little bonus if this thing works out between us".
"Little bonus?" Acero repeated sceptically just before he sensed a rather offish scent, even through his tight mask.
His sturdy muscles soon relaxed and his arms were let down all swaying and hanging. Any doubts or second thoughts he may've had in mind were scrubbed aside as he too soon fell under the Killer Wasp's thrall. Killer Wasp himself could already figure out what kind of attraction Acero would have, and this alone made him raise a brow and smile with amusement.
"Would you happen to be single by any chance?" Killer Wasp asked, gazing down at Acero.
"Sí," Acero answered 'yes'.
"I thought so," Killer Wasp grinned wickedly. "You might be my type after all".
To be continued...