Hush paced back and forth, his mind racing with thoughts of how to salvage the situation. He couldn't let this setback defeat him. Not after all the meticulous planning and chaos he had caused. He had to find out who had betrayed him and make them pay for the sudden setback. And he had to come up with a new plan, something even more devious and destructive than what he had previously intended.

The destruction of the city's water supply was the last piece of the puzzle he needed to complete his mission. It was the final blow that would cripple the city and give him complete control over it. But now, he felt like he was losing his grip on things as it had been obstructed.

Hush clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger rising within him. He could not afford to fail now, not after all the chaos and destruction he had caused.

He tried to calm himself down, taking deep breaths and reminding himself that he was in control. He pulled out a cigar and lit it, hoping that the smoke would soothe his nerves. As he exhaled, he thought of his goons and wondered where they could be.

Suddenly, the sound of his phone ringing interrupted his thoughts. Hush picked it up eagerly, hoping it was one of his goons with good news. But the voice on the other end was not what he expected. It was a distorted voice, one he did not recognize.

"Hello, Hush," the deep menacing voice said. "I know what you're planning, and I'm going to give you a chance to put an end to all of this."

Hush felt a chill run down his spine as he realized it was Batman on the other end of the line. He quickly tried to regain his composure, not wanting to show any fear.

"You think you can stop me, Batman? You're too late. My plan is already in motion." He bluffed, knowing that it had been put on temporary hold.

Batman's voice was calm and collected. "I know about Ra's involvement. He's just using you as a pawn, Hush. You're not in control here."

Hush felt a surge of anger at the mention of Ra's name. He had always suspected that Ra's was playing him, but he had thought he could use the situation to his advantage as Ra's had offered him the city of Gotham once he succeeded. Now, it seemed like everything was falling apart.

"I don't need Ra's or anyone else to tell me what to do," Hush growled. "I'm in control here."

Batman's voice was stern. "You're not in control of anything, Hush. You're just a pawn in Ra's game. But it's not too late. Turn yourself in, and we can put an end to this together."

A sudden wave of frustration washed over him. He was running out of time. He had to act fast if he wanted to salvage his plan.

"I don't need your help, Batman. I don't need anyone's help. I'm going to see this through to the end. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

With that, Hush ended the call and turned off his phone. He needed to act fast if he wanted to complete his plan before it was too late. He took one final drag of his cigar and tossed it out of the window.

Time was running out. But he was determined to see his plan through, no matter the cost. Suddenly, there were gunshots fired outside the building.

He was startled by the sudden commotion outside his window. He peered through the blinds and saw Batman perched on the edge of the nearby building, with his goons he had on lookout knocked unconscious. Hush couldn't believe it - 'How did Batman find him so quickly?' The thought that went through his head.

Before he could think of a way to escape, Batman had already fired his grip gun and was soaring towards him. The window shattered as Batman smashed through it, sending glass shards flying everywhere.

As Hush turned around, he saw Batman standing by the window, his weapon aimed at him. He let out a low chuckle, his eyes filled with malice.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Dark Knight," he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "I must say, I'm impressed that you managed to track me down. But it won't do you any good. My plan is already in motion, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Even if you take me down, you can't stop what's already in motion."

"We're going to stop you, Hush," Batman said, his voice firm. "Whatever your plan is, it ends here."

Hush laughed again, his eyes gleaming with madness. "You're too late, Bruce. This is a fight you can't win, I'd advise you to hang your cape and watch Gotham plunge into the abyss."

Batman dashed at him as Hush quickly reached for his gun, but Batman was already on him, disarming him in seconds. The two engaged in hand-to-hand combat, exchanging punches and kicks. Hush was no match for Batman's combat skills, but he still put up a fight, trying to land a hit on Batman.

Hush stumbled back, but quickly regained his composure. "Like I've said over and over again, all this doesn't matter because you're already too late," Hush said, as he reached for a hidden switch.

But before he could press it, Nightwing burst into the hideout, taking down a few of Hush's henchmen with his escrima sticks. "We've disabled the explosives. Your plan has failed, Hush," Nightwing said, as he joined Batman in the fight.

Hush was now outnumbered and outmatched. He tried to make a run for it, but Batman and Nightwing cornered him. "Where's Ra's al Ghul?!" Batman demanded.

Hush smiled, knowing that he had at least one card left to play. "You'll never find him, Batman. He's already gone, and so am I," Hush said, as he pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it at Batman's feet.

Batman knew Hush was clever and would try to escape, so he was quick to react when Hush threw the smoke bomb. He had anticipated this move due to their previous encounter and quickly put on his infrared vision goggles to see through the smoke. He saw Hush trying to run towards the door, but he was faster. Batman lunged at him, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him back.

Hush tried to break free, but Batman was too strong. He held him in a tight grip and said, "It's over, Hush. You're coming with me."

Hush struggled to get free, but Batman's grip was unyielding. Batman punched him in his face over and over again until he had no strength left to resist him, he slumped in defeat. "You may have caught me, Batman, but you'll never stop me," he said through gritted teeth.

"Game over, Hush," Batman said, his voice low and menacing. "You're going to pay for what you've done." Batman said as he ignored him and called for backup. The police arrived in no time and took Hush into custody. Batman watched as they led him away, knowing that this was just one victory in his never-ending fight to protect Gotham City from its enemies.

There wasn't any actual proof of Ra's involvement in Hush's plan so far and he could not go hunting the lead of assassins just because he was tipped off by someone he couldn't trace.

Batman was relieved as it seemed the nightmare over Gotham City had finally been put to an end, yet he wondered who might have sent him the tip of Ra's involvement. Knowing that Hush was just a pawn in Ra's plans, made it a little bit easier to bring him down. For a pawn is nothing without the puppeteer controlling the strings for its next step.

…

[Ra's Al Ghul POV]

I stood in Hush's presence, my eyes blazing with anger. He had failed me, and that was something I could not tolerate. I had given him everything he needed to deliver Gotham into my hands, but he had squandered it all.

I had spent a fortune paying off the goons and criminals he had hired to create chaos in the city, and even though they had successfully stolen money from the bank, it was all for nothing. Hush had not been able to deliver the city to me, and that was unacceptable.

As I looked at Hush, I saw the fear in his eyes. He knew that he had disappointed me, and he knew that there would be consequences. I would not allow this failure to go unpunished.

"You have disappointed me, Hush," I said, my voice cold and menacing. "You had everything you needed to succeed, and yet you failed. You have wasted my resources and my time."

Hush tried to speak, but I silenced him with a wave of my hand. "Your excuses are meaningless. You have failed, and now you will pay the price."

As I turned away from him, a thought came to mind. I would send a few assassins to break Hush out of jail and bring him to me. And once I had him in my grasp, I would use him to achieve my ultimate goal - the destruction of Gotham and the creation of a new world.

[Rachel Roth POV]

As I walked through the bustling streets of Gotham, I couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity that surrounded me. Although the city was still recovering from the chaos it had gone through, I wandered the streets offering a helping hand to whoever needed it.

I was walking along the Gotham City center park when I saw a white-haired kid sitting on a bench and observing the surroundings as if appreciating nature. He reminded me of the boy I saw that one night back at Bludhaven, and how awkward our conversation had gone.

I was lost in thought thinking about our strange encounter that night when something came to my notice, it was actually him sitting on the bench. I was surprised to see him again and couldn't help but approach him.

"Excuse me," I said, hesitantly. "Do you remember me? We met back in Bludhaven."

The white-haired kid looked up at me, his expression unchanged. "I remember you," he said, his voice as flat as ever as he gestured for me to have a seat. "The girl who threatened me along the empty alley back at Bludhaven." He muttered but yet he was audible enough for me to hear.

We sat there in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say next. I was surprised that he didn't seem as surprised as I was to run into each other again.

"What brings you to Gotham?" he finally asked.

"I'm just passing through, Batman needed my help with the previous situation in Gotham and here I was," I said, trying to sound casual.

The white-haired kid nodded, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation. I couldn't help but feel disappointed.

But before standing up to leave so I put an end to the awkwardness, he spoke again.

"You're different," he said, his voice low and serious. "You don't seem to care about the things others care about. You're not afraid to be different, especially with that astonishing gem you have on your forehead."

I was taken aback by his words. It was a stark contrast to the way he had treated me earlier. I wondered if he was bi-polar or if this was just a facade, it seemed just like how he spoke that night.

"I don't understand," I said, my curiosity getting the best of me. "Why are you saying this?"

The white-haired kid shrugged nonchalantly. "Just an observation."

We stood there in silence for a few more moments, both lost in thought. I wondered what he was thinking and what had brought him to Gotham.

"So, why are you here in Gotham? Considering the disaster that the city is just recovering from." I asked him.

"Oh, I live here." He replied, nonchalantly.

"That was unexpected." I said as I took another look at him. Looking closely I realized how pale his skin actually was.

"My name is Tom by the way." He said as he extended a hand shake.

"I'm Raven but you can call me Rachel." I said to him, replying to his hand shake.

"That's a nice name, both names sound cool if you asked me."

"Thank you." I replied, turning away to hide the blush expression I had on my face. I don't know if it was his cold yet warm demeanor or his mysterious presence but he had left an impression on me.

"Well, I should get going," I finally said, standing up from the bench.

"It was nice seeing you again Rachel, and without getting pulled to the air and getting threatened by you." He jokingly said.

I let out a soft laughter, he had a point though. "I hope we get to meet again." I said, feeling a little nervous at the thought.

"Me too, how about I give you my number and when you are less busy we could meet up for some coffee sometime." He said as he wrote his number on a gum wrap he had on him.

"That sounds nice." I responded as I reached for the paper in his hand.

"Let's forget about Bludhaven and take this as our first time meeting." I said.

"Sure thing, Rachel." He said with a half smile on his face as I stood up and flew away, excited as it would give me a chance to get to understand the mystery around him.

…

[Tom Hendricks POV]

I sat on my couch, my eyes glued to the TV screen as the local news reported the latest updates on the city's recovery efforts. The chaos that had engulfed Gotham was finally over, and it was a relief to see that the city was slowly but surely returning to normal.

I watched as they announced the arrest of Hush, the mastermind behind the chaos that had brought the city to its knees. It was a small victory, but it was a victory nonetheless.

But what really caught my attention was the footage of Batman, working tirelessly to restore the city to its former glory. It was no secret that I had never been a fan of the caped crusader, but seeing him in action, doing everything he could to help the city, I couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for him.

As I sat there, lost in thought, I couldn't help but wonder if there was anything I could have done to help during the chaos. I had always prided myself on being self-sufficient, but maybe I had been too focused on my own survival.

The sound of my phone ringing snapped me out of my thoughts. It was an unfamiliar number, but I answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Tom? It's me, Raven."

I was surprised to hear her voice. We hadn't spoken since we ran into each other a few days ago. I wondered what she wanted.

"What's up?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"I was just wondering if you were okay," she said, her voice soft. "After everything that happened, I just wanted to make sure."

I was taken aback by her concern. Raven had always struck me as someone who kept to herself, and and had a mysterious air around her. It was surprising to see her reaching out like this.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice a little softer than I intended. "Thanks for asking."

We chatted for a few more minutes, mostly small talk about the city's recovery efforts. But as we said our goodbyes, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth towards her. Maybe there was more to her than I had initially thought.

As I turned off the TV and settled back into the couch, my next heist was already in sight and it was time to get into the planning phase.

As Ghost, I was offered a job to steal a weapon from a tech laboratory over in San Francisco. The weapon was an imitation of the alien mother box that had left human scientists in wonderment over the years.

I had no idea who my employer was. Did I care what the person wanted it for? Absolutely fucking not.

We agreed on a handsome payout and the job was easy. My mission was simple: break into the heavily secured laboratory, locate the mysterious box, relocate it to the designated drop point, and receive my payment. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy, or so I thought. Honestly it kind of feels like I've been breaking into a lot of Laboratories quite often.

I didn't want Deathstroke getting involved with it and I haven't offered Leo, a.k.a 'Captain Cold' an offer to join my crusade.

"I really need to pick up the pace and recruit more skilled personnels to my cause and form my organization of outlaws as soon as I can." I muttered to myself.

This was the perfect opportunity to test out my new combat suit, in live action. As I headed straight to San Francisco with every gadget I could need, I knew that time was of the essence. The sooner I formed my own organization, the better I've spent a lot of time in Gotham already and would like to move on to another city soon.

I took shelter at a distant motel and began preparing myself for the upcoming heist.I waited until the cover of darkness before proceeding with my agenda.

As I arrived at the laboratory, my heart began to race with excitement. The thrill of breaking into a heavily guarded facility was something that I had always enjoyed, and this time was no different.

The security was tight, but I was prepared. I had done my research, knew the guards' schedules, and had every gadget at my disposal to help me overcome any obstacle.

With the stealth of a ninja, I moved past the security cameras, avoiding detection with ease. As I approached the heavily guarded vault, my pulse quickened with anticipation.

With a few swift movements, I was able to override the vault's security system, and the mysterious box was now within my grasp. But as I made my way to the drop point, I felt a sense of unease, a nagging feeling that I couldn't quite shake.

As I raced towards the drop point on my bike, my heart racing with excitement, a sudden red laser crossed my path. I slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop, and looked back to see Superboy and a few members of the Young Justice team staring me down.

'What the fuck are these circus rats doing way over here?' I thought to myself, the encounter was completely unprecedented and might spoil my ruin my operation for the first time ever.

I knew I had been caught off guard, but I wasn't about to give up without a fight. I revved up my bike, ready to take off in a flash, but before I could even make a move, Superboy and his team had surrounded me.

I could feel their eyes on me, their intense gazes burning into my skin. I was trapped, with no way out.

Please kindly visit my to read 20 ahead./Maverick_DaSupreme