Olivia groaned and sat up. She could feel her father approaching. It was time to get out of bed it seemed. The gentle dozing beside her drew her attention and she smiled. Why did she not feel Victor coming to bed? He looks like they had a bit of a rough night but still he smiles in his sleep. He reached for her and she learned her lesson the first few times and quickly slipped out of reach. Her pillow would be pushed into his grasp and a soft kiss was placed on his cheek. Soon she was out the door to greet Bruce in the hall. "Good morning dad," she said through a yawn.
Bruce smiles. "Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep any better?" he asked and Olivia would nod. "Do you want to eat before we get started?"
She shook her head. "I don't think I should do this on a full stomach. I'll have plenty of energy afterwards anyway. My better suit should be done so I'll get it pieced together and be downstairs in a minute."
"Take your time."
"I will do no such thing!" she said with her hands on her hips. "We don't have time for me to drag my feet."
"Okay, Olivia. Don't take too long." She would nod then hurried to her workshop. The new materials were harder for her machines to work with so a more improved version of her body suit was still in the works. For now the one she split in the back will have to suffice. An old shirt was thrown over the top for the sake of staying warm while moving through the manor. All of her brothers were home but none were awake. They must have all had a rough night. She'll be careful today so they can get plenty of rest.
In the cave Bruce was waiting and a set of drones were being prepared for recording. She spared a glance to the arrival tracker for the colony. Less than eleven days now. A snapshot was taken of her with her hair down and Bruce was given a refresher on what to expect. Elevated heart rate and body temperature. A massive spike in the amount of energy she has. Rapid growth shown through her hair. The "tight" feeling ceases after some time and she will maintain that until she either feels normal again or the energy needs to be expelled. While waiting for the right moment for them to depart Olivia would attempt to electrify just her left hand at a safe distance from any of the equipment. Lighting up the bones in her hand seemed easier. Perhaps rest and gathering more energy is the key overall.
Bruce watched from the corner of his eye then focused back on the super computer. "What are you thinking about when you do that?" he asked. Understanding her thought process to move her energy will help him help her.
"I guess I'm just...focusing on moving the danger feeling there?" she shrugs. "I know that doesn't really make any sense. Arthur was probably on to something with the head empty only vibes comment. And I guess I should think of all of this like muscles I've never had to use. It should get easier the more I try." Bruce nods. She reflects on when she's moving her energy while she's with Victor and, while that helps, she has to shove those thoughts away to properly focus. The drones rose from their resting spots and swirled around her. Each hovered in place at a safe distance, no doubt calculated from the footage of the previous two excursions into storms. "If I want to zap something precisely I don't even have to think about stretching out a hand but it helps when trying to hold back and gather the energy." Should she be thinking of it like charging up a blaster or revving an engine?
As she feels she's getting close to a breakthrough the computer alerts them to an ideal storm. It was quite close to civilization but given the time of day they could make this work. Olivia quickly kicked off her shoes and set her overshirt on top of them before getting ready on the platform with her entourage of drones. One remained fixated on her back while the other two shifted position often. Bruce dawned a narrow mask for his eyes to monitor everything and stepped up with his daughter to lead her into a dark, thinly wooded area. Were they back in the Congo? There were no trees to be seen but not far from them were the lights of a city. Olivia looked to her father to ensure he was ready to go then followed the charge in the air to an ideal place to begin.
A strike first thing in the morning was rare for her. There was usually so much to do at this hour. She double checked to ensure the drones were a safe distance and one remained locked on her back then raised a hand up to call down the sky as always. And as always she was struck and made to rise from the energy swelling inside of her. There was no time to fully enjoy this state but like she realized the second time this did not feel uncomfortable. She barely felt a prickle of irritation along her skin. With a deep inhale she forced all of the energy inside while slowly descending back to the ground. The suit was still intact though smoking in places. She'll make a note of this once she's calm enough.
Bruce holds a hand out to her and she hurries to his side. It's time to leave. Her body returns to its human state and she takes his hand to head back into the cave with the drones in tight formation behind them. No stragglers left when the portal closes. Everything feels dull and unremarkable. Her senses are stronger but her heart's elevated state returns to normal after a few minutes of being monitored in the cave. Her temperature doesn't drop but that may just be the tradeoff of containing that much energy. She attempts lighting up one hand and archives it in an instant. "Oh! I did it!" Olivia cheered, bouncing on the spot and rolling in static.
"Excellent. Let me get more readings before you do more," Bruce says while keeping track of everything with a watchful eye. The drones got in formation again. There was no increase in the burns on her back. As she swapped between electrifying one hand and then the other there was no sign of the energy needing to travel in a visibly noticeable way. "How are you feeling?"
"Wired! Like I need to work this all off before I can even sleep tonight," she threw back with a notable cheery tone. She'll give this all back when she is done. It's a promise to her mother. For now this feels as natural as breathing. Moving her energy from one hand to another. She stepped away from the sensitive equipment and lit up one of her arms. There was never much time to really examine herself when she's glowy and sparking. It was wild to see herself as herself. That was right wasn't it? This is how she was supposed to be. With her glowing eyes on a drone she focused the energy to her head. Her facial features disappeared into a bright white light with her hair rising and flowing. That was one way to disguise herself for when they try for another if they even do that today at all. Best not to push herself too hard.
An unseen smile formed on her lips. In an instant the energy was tucked away. With her shirt and shoes gathered up she went to stand beside her dad looking over the information on the screen. She avoided checking the arrival time. The closer they got the more accurate the counter became. "A drone will be following you for the rest of the day to keep track of your vitals. If there is something it needs to watch let it know and it will start recording," Bruce explained as one drone floated over to hover near her shoulder. "Your training for today will be trying to achieve that full state of yours for as long as possible and traversing the tennis court." Olivia nods and smiles. "Are those boots going to be enough? Maybe take a jacket. It's still cold outside."
"Dad, I'll be fine," she laughs. "Not like I can't just run back into the house when I get cold. I'm already pretty warm as is, so being outside will be good for me." She bounced over to give him a hug with his hair standing on end then began to leave the cave.
"Don't wander too far from the manor!" he called out.
"I know!" she yelled back from the stairs. Olivia hurried up, stumbling to put her boots on and journeyed through the manor to the doors leading out to the recreational yard at the back of the estate. The itch was there, stronger like before but nothing compared to when she was overwhelmingly filled with energy. A constant reminder of what is quickly approaching from what had to be on the other end of the galaxy.
The tennis court was a fenced in area with the actual net brought in long before the snow began to fall. Tim and Damian liked to use it as a barrier when treating each other as moving targets. It seemed like such a fun game to them from Olivia's point of view. Now she was outside on her own, the sun still rising and everyone except Alfred and Bruce asleep in the manor. With a few well placed zaps she cleared the snow from a bench and sat down to remove her shoes. The moment her bare feet touched the ground she gasped and electrified them one after another to fight off the cold. Her extremities were more susceptible to the cold. As to be expected.
She'll work from toes up working this extra energy out. An occasional inspection of her limbs was given to ensure she was doing what she intended, which was starting with her bones and then expanding out. Everything seemed to be going according to her plan. The energy would rise like a thermometer climbing higher and higher until her hair was the last to glow and spark. The chill of the November air was gone and she barely felt the wind brushing against her skin or through her now white locks. Now how does she fly? Well, how does she usually get off the ground and float? When the energy hits her it just happens. Maybe thinking lighter than air thoughts? Or perhaps she needed to push off. Her eyes were wide and she squeaked, realizing she was no longer on solid ground. Thinking of pushing off was the key but that startled her. Very quickly she went to secure a hand on the chain link fence then went back to that thought.
Starting with her feet back on the ground she used a small surge of energy and then the smallest of pushes. Her heels were off the ground but that wasn't enough! She was just standing on her toes but then her toes felt nothing beneath them. Not the melting snow or the hard court gradually being revealed. There it was! That weightless feeling. A broad smile formed but went unseen given her state. She wondered if anyone could even see her eyes like this. Were they darker or brighter than the rest of her? Ever so slightly she drifted from the fence until she felt certain she could maintain just this height. Just a foot above the ground but that was certainly flying in her book. With a giggle she called out to the drone. "Oracle! Please record!" The drone beeped and followed her at a distance to ensure it took in everything from how high up she was, how quickly she moved around the court and the amount of energy she was putting off just to do all of this.
"I might not even need Jonathan's help! This feels easy!" Another giggle then a laugh came as she floated between one side of the court to the other leaving melting trails in her wake. She imagined how Mel moved across the ice when skating and mimicked the movements as much as possible. Melissa really had some ethereal grace about her in winter.
Maybe she could go higher. She's certainly been higher than this before. Another foot into the air and she moved just as effortlessly as before. Oh she really didn't need Jonathan's help at all! What lessons could she learn from him if she barely had to think about what she was doing? She's now a meter high. A little more at a time she would rise until she cleared the door that led onto the tennis court. A gust caught her and she leaned, stumbled in the air and latched her fingers between the links of the fence to keep from dropping face first! "Maybe I do need Jon's help," she breathed.
She'll drop back down to just a meter and resume "skating" about. During this time she experiments with returning her arms to their human state then everything from the waist up while still maintaining her altitude. Knowing she could do that was good to note but it was still freezing out! A full body transformation will have to do for now. There is next to no drain on her energy. She may be able to do this all day from what she's feeling. This bit of practice she clearly didn't need was getting dull. How many laps around has she taken already? A test of speed then! Olivia moved to one end of the court then prepared to see how fast she could make it to the other. Her fastest was still quite slow but gradually between back and forths she picked up until she throttled a bit too hard and slammed into the fence at the other end.
"AH FUCK!" she groaned while pushing back to float towards the center. "Oracle, clip the last minute and send it to my phone. Mel and Arthur should get a kick out of that."
~Is everything okay out there?~ Bruce's voice rang out from the drone minding her progress.
"Yes!" she answered. "Flying is a lot harder than it looks. So annoying. Jonathan and Raven make it look so easy." She would spin on the spot giggling with her energy spiking. "It's still really fun!" A moment was taken to check the integrity of her suit. This is the longest she's ever been in this state. Her everyday clothes would have been ashes by now. There were holes forming all over but mainly in spots where bone was closest to the material of the suit.
Bruce smiles as he watches the drone's camera feed. "Stopping looks difficult," he comments.
"It is!" she squeals and nearly bumps into the fence again. "But this doesn't feel too exhausting. I could stay like this for hours but the suit won't survive. I'll stay out a bit longer than head inside."
"Alright. Pace yourself and please remain within the court. I don't want to fish you out of a tree halfway down the mountain," he teased.
"I know. I'll be careful!" Olivia huffed while looking right at the drone then carried on with her exercise for the morning. It was easy for her to lose track of time like this. Being occupied with learning how to fly competently was enough of a distraction from that itch at the back of her mind or any of her other worries for that matter. She drifts until she feels the suit is at its limit and lands. Her energy is easily put away and she quickly hops back into her shoes and oversized shirt. Once back inside the manor she looks to the drone following her around. If anything was abnormal Oracle would let her know.
Olivia seeks out her phone finding Alfred inside her room gathering the ruined bedding. He didn't need to vacate. She collected what she came for and took a moment to assess the damage she did. It was a relief Victor wasn't in the bed with her. Or that they weren't in his bed. The fire suppression system was built into the posts of her bed after one too many...accidents as a small traumatized child. The stress really must be getting to her. She needs more distractions. "Alfred, I'll start on breakfast. I can feel one of the boys starting to wake," she announced and was out of earshot before he could protest.
Unlike Tim and Damian, Olivia wasn't a disaster in the kitchen when it came to breakfast. They each had their specialty meal and Olivia's was breakfast. It was beyond just pancakes but those were a staple in her mind. It was the meal her mother loved making the most. Every day has the potential to be a good day when you start it on a full stomach is what Sophie believed. She carried on with her calm cooking while reminiscing about her parents. Her mother would just absorb information like a sponge watching cooking and crafting videos. The first thing Sophie was proud to make was Olivia's stuffed octopus Otto. She doesn't remember when he was given to her but she's always known him to be there.
Glowing honey eyes rose to meet Jason's as he stepped into the kitchen one heavy shuffle after the other. "Morning, Sparky," he yawned, then took a seat at the counter bar.
"Morning," Olivia hums over her work. There was nothing special about her cooking technique for pancakes but she learned it from her father and it's never failed her. For Jason's stack banana and strawberry chunks sprinkled onto the gently cooking batter. "Do you remember when you used to make me pancakes when I first got here?" she asked him.
"I remember you being very judgy about how I made them for a five year old," he said defensively. He takes notice that there is no coffee going and gets up to start a pot.
"Well you weren't doing it right," she laughed. "They were so weirdly shaped even when fully cooked. Still loved them. You spent so much time just helping me get used to living here. I was so scared of going anywhere and touching anything. In the kitchen I knew I could make a mess and no one would get upset." Alfred did get upset but he knew how to be a gentle parent and get her into the habit of cleaning as she went.
Jason snorts as he eased back onto his chair. "You have no idea how terrifying you were. Quiet as a mouse and able to find us anywhere in the manor!"
"Oh! I should probably tell you all how I do that now since the grandmother from the stars is on her way," she says then flipped the last pancake onto a plate. She stopped to do a little celebratory dance. "Dad told me to keep it a secret but we're going against someone I might as well be a carbon copy of. I can hear your brainwaves." Jason narrowed his eyes. "Hehe, yeah. Everyone's minds are unique so it's very easy to just find you. I know when people are thinking I just don't bother with fully reading brain waves. I don't need to know when people are horny or whatever." The short stack of pancakes as well as another plate with bacon, eggs and hashbrowns was slid to Jason. She then scurried to grab him a coffee. "I know what stress sounds like though. Very familiar with that."
"I can see why he wanted you to keep that a secret. Are you livestreaming?" he asked while waving his fork at the drone following her.
"I was up early and took in a lighting strike. Just the one. Nothing bad has happened. I have been trying to fly, though!" She took up her phone and sent the video of her crashing. "I'm still figuring everything out." Jason snorts over the video while Olivia moves on to her next plate for Victor. He's rising early. She's unsure on what to put in his so she'll put bacon bits inside of his instead of something sweet. "Dad has been monitoring everything. I would say take over for him once you are done eating but I get the feeling you all still need more sleep."
"Sleep is for the weak, Sparky!" he announces. By the time Victor arrives in the kitchen a steaming plate of breakfast is set before him and Olivia manages to slip away to get back to cooking. She is shooed away from the range by Alfred upon his entry. He is proud that she manages to prepare a meal without creating a disaster like when she is sewing. Sometimes fabric just explodes around her and thread gets everywhere. It's part of the process.
Victor lets out a soft grumble before finally getting a kiss on the cheek from Olivia. It's what he needed to start his morning. "Art and Mel have been blowing up the group chat over your crash flight," he yawns. "I resisted the temptation to remove my battery and get more sleep when I realized you were already up."
"You should go back to bed after you eat."
"Can't do that. Heading back down after this. Gotta make some appearances," he divulges.
Olivia frowns. "You still have a hole in your stomach. You should be resting, Victor."
"I've been through worse." He knows that's not going to reassure her. "I'll let you do a better stitch job before I go and I promise I'll be here for flight school."
These were acceptable terms. She sighs, kisses the top of his head and steps away. "You better not leave without saying goodbye. I will know!" she warns. "Be careful. The both of you!" She can check on her suit and get Victor's in the works while she cools off. And once she is done with that she can check on the unfinished project. When Victor eventually showed up to the workshop after being directed there he found her at her computer checking over a design.
"As promised I am here to get stabbed," he announced. She jumped and rolled in static. It seemed Olivia was deep in her work. Her eyes lit up upon seeing him and she gave a heart melting smile.
"Go sit!" she says while pointing to one of her tables cleared of materials then darted off to a storage locker for her suture kit. She was by Victor's side as he set up on the table with his shirt off. The sparking woman scrutinized his work. "You all need to stop doing your stitches sitting up!" she huffed. "Please lay down."
Victor does as he's told and can feel his stitches pulling. "Okay, I see what you mean," he grunts. "I'll try not to disappoint my lovely nurse the next time I have a hole in my gut."
Olivia sterilized her hands then went about snipping the old stitches. Blood was cleared and she searched for any stray bits of shrapnel because there was no way a blade did this to him. "What happened last night?"
"Mafia party gone wrong," he explains and barely flinches as she begins stitching him closed. "A less than savory family reunion that turned explosive just as they were at each other's throats. I caught the bomb before it could do any real damage."
"You don't think a hole in you is real damage?" Olivia fusses.
"The body armor took the worst of it. No one else in that kitchen got hurt. I'd give myself a B- for the heroics. Would have been faster to shove that jackass in the freezer with the bomb." He got a displeased grunt but his dutiful nurse carried on with her work then cleaned up after herself. "Resisting my baser instincts in a room full of people that had plans to deal with me six months ago was hard." There was no need to inspect her work. He trusts that she's had lots of practice stitching up her family. He moves to sit up and is pushed back down onto the table to hold his head still while kissing him.
"I want you to be more careful from now on, okay?" she insists.
"Mm, yes ma'am," he rumbles happily and pulls her down for another kiss. His hold loosens when he hears the drone hovering around. With a sigh he moves her back so he can pull his shirt back on. "I won't press my luck with your dad literally hovering over your shoulder."
Olivia did not look dejected in the least. "I was just going to tease you to encourage you to come back fast and in one piece," she confessed. "But I also understand you might need some space away from...everyone," she laughs softly. She and her family can be...a lot.
"It hasn't been too much for me to handle. Reminds me of when I was part of a gang. Short lived but going from no brother to suddenly a dozen older brothers was fun until it wasn't." He held two fingers up to his lips and shook his head. It's best she doesn't know what happened to those 'brothers'. "No sob stories and no fun either sadly." After hopping off the table he slipped his arms around her waist then gazed into her glowing eyes. "I take it your dad is going to want a flying lesson tomorrow. Any idea what time?"
"Jon still has class to go to but it won't take long for him to get here. Probably around four. It's cutting it close but chances are dad'll want the cover of night."
"Flying in the dark can be dangerous."
Olivia shrugged. "Jon has good eyes and I do glow." She highlighted her point by making her hair glow and spark.
Victor smiles. "Beautiful," he mused. "Mm then I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." He gave her a proper kiss not caring about the drone. Her energy surged and he felt the smallest of sparks on his lips like always. It was Olivia's last ditch effort to get him to stay longer but they both had things to do.
While Victor and Jason made their way down the mountain at the same time they soon parted ways once in the city. Victor's first stop was his apartment to get dressed in his everyday suit, one of the many Olivia repaired and improved. While he armed himself with various concealed weapons he checked the messages on his business phone. About a dozen messages for jobs. Nothing from Oswald but that's to be expected. If he were to hire him it would be after he knows what moves to make. Everyone else is either in a panic or trying to make a power play.
One thing that concerned him was how many whispers there were of Victor's personal life. Him dating Olivia isn't a secret but not a soul in that room should have felt so comfortable as to talk about that when he was knowingly in the room. This last foot in this world needs to move out fast. A request on his business phone grabs his interest for two reasons. It was to play security at a benefit dinner on the west side for Mario Falcone. "..." The man moves fast and hard. Maroni is usually the one rubbing elbows with high society criminals since the Falcones backed out of that endeavour years back according to Oswald.
Victor sends the relevant information to Bruce and Jason. Bruce is most likely to be in the room with that man at such an expensive gathering. A Wednesday night would be cutting it close to the arrival of the colony but they needed to operate like there was going to be a tomorrow. He paused in his thought process. Oh they were rubbing off on him in an intense way! He needs to get out and make himself known. Quite a few faces saw him save important people last night. A serious injury not slowing him down will be enough to pump up his reputation.
His muscle car was left in the parking lot of Oasis and after a quick check on the club he walked the cleared streets with sunglasses and a warm scarf he's had for a few years now. Most eyes darted away from him. The ones that lingered were given an unnervingly peppy smile. He had a few curious sorts following him. Young kids that have no idea how to stay out of sight. Once he reached the end of the street they would not continue on.
In and out of shops he went paying visits to his many contacts for information. Whispers in the night or behind curtains. Plenty of people that go unnoticed but would give a scraggly street kid just as little attention until his face became well known. Until he grew too tall to pass through without question, drawing attention of all kinds.
Sean Riley is on the mend but has decided to act as his daughter's advisor and muscle. It may give him the freedom to sort out his other children. A nasty rumor has resulted in him being banned from every brothel and sex club in the city.
One of Kwan Lin's green mask lieutenants was at the party and was only impressed with how bloodthirsty the Falcones were. If not even blood can hold them together it will be easy to push for more territory. There are many in recovery from the brawl that kicked off only to be interrupted by the bomb but even more carrying on with business as usual. Oswald was caught up in a scuffle but is unharmed. Iggy proved himself useful after all.
Whispers from Dimitrov's housekeeper tell that his daughters are still safe in Europe. No plans on coming back anytime soon. Good. Maroni continues to pretend he is above a world that gave him everything he sits on and will likely be at this benefit dinner. There are also rumors of a new thorn in everyone's side on the scene in a black mask. Now that the word is out there is no more going out in the mask with his well known rides.
Morning bled into afternoon. He popped up where important people would be, disrupted a lunch simply by arriving just as the table was set. Passing through that kitchen made them paranoid and many refused to eat. Poison is not his thing. Any word on Mario Falcone's movements, or lack thereof, were put into heavy consideration. Sophia was in the hospital for a broken wrist. This would be the best time to show that he's better for the family than her. He must be intending for that benefit dinner to be his big splash.
When Victor took breaks it was to converse with the batfamily or just chatter with Olivia. Just because he was getting space from everyone didn't mean he didn't want to talk to her as often as possible. Victor has suggested using the benefit as a time to intimidate Mario Falcone in ways that only Bruce Wayne and himself can. It's not something he'll pull himself away from the Watchtower for. It would have to be on Damian and Victor's shoulders and their call on how to carry out that mission. Protecting Olivia takes priority.
"No shit," Victor mutters as he reclines in the VIP lounge of Oasis. It's still far too early for a big enough crowd to worry about but he'd rather be bored here than back at his apartment alone. When he gets a moment he'll look over the information on Mario Jason has collected. Something bound to be useful there.
"Zsasz," one of the doormen called out. Victor cracked an eye open and glared at the man. "There's some brat at the door that says he knows you."
"Tell him to fuck off. I'm on the job," he grunts.
"Kid says he's looking for fae? Not sure what the fuck that means." Before he could finish Victor was out of his seat and heading down the stairs to the main entrance of the club. No one in this city should be looking for fae!
Outside there was a commotion and a very familiar stammer. Victor sighed then pushed his way past the other large doorman. "What are you doing here, Art?"
Arthur looked up with a bright smile and hidden eyes. "I'm so glad I was right that you were here today!" he said, relieved.
"Uh, you know this kid?" the doorman asked, a little confused. Arthur was still wearing his school uniform.
"He's a friend of my girl. I'll handle this," he explained then pulled Arthur to the side still outside of the club. Once they were out of earshot he turned on the young man. "I know who you're looking for but tell me what you're up to."
Arthur was looking over Victor's attire now that he could make eye contact without worry. "Wow, you look scary," he muttered. He caught Victor's narrowed eyes. "Oh right, I can't tell you that because if I do you'll tell Miss Olivia and she'll stop me!"
Victor sneered. He wonders if it'll be worth Olivia getting mad at him to just pry the reason out of him. Then again Arthur is sharp and he understands what they are up against. "Are you absolutely sure this is going to help?"
"Yes! I promised to be careful and I don't intend to do anything too risky but this is something I have to do for Miss Olivia!" he says with an unwavering voice. Victor grumbles then signals for Arthur to follow. The young fae is close behind him and apologizes to the men at the door for making a scene. Once inside his gaze went up and around. "Wow! I've never been in a nightclub before."
"You fuck around in here and I'll make sure you never get to come here again. No funny business with her! Stay here!" Victor points to the floor then steps away. In a few moments he returns with Yazmine and before he can say anything the woman's eyes light up and she beams.
"Is he?!" she asked, bouncing on the spot. Did all elemental fae give this kind of bubbly vibe?
"Yaz, this is Arthur. He's a close friend of Olivia and he's been looking for you for some reason," Victor explained. "Play nice!" he warned Arthur then walked away to give them privacy for whatever they needed to discuss.
Yazmine's hair ignited. "You're friends with our monarch?!" she squealed. "It's wild how I know her boyfriend and now one of her school friends!"
Arthur pushed his hair back but the moment he felt his charm working he dropped his gaze and pulled out the mask Damian gifted him to wear. He didn't anticipate being stronger than an older fae! "Gosh you're pretty!" he said in awe.
"Aw, you're a cutie too! So what did you need? Ooo! Am I getting picked to be part of her court?!" she asked while getting closer so they could speak in hushed voices.
"That's not why I'm here."
Victor stepped further away. It was best he kept his nose out of this. The kid is sharp enough to know to not fuck around. He hopes. After a lengthy talk Arthur takes his leave. Yazmine bounded up to Victor on the second floor smiling from ear to ear. "Good talk I take it?" Victor asked with his eyes on the dance floor.
"Not going to ask what it was about are you?" Yazmine hums. Victor shook his head. "I'm surprised. You seem the kind of guy that would want to know everything going on around his girlfriend."
"I know all I need Yaz, and I trust whatever Art may have planned just don't push yourself. She wouldn't want you getting hurt."
Yazmine smiled and bumped him with her hip. "You're just a big softie! I'm jealous." Victor found that funny. Someone thought he was worth getting jealous over. The women in his life might have bad tastes. He's one lucky bastard and the day keeps being generous. Or at the very least the night
As the club goers dance through the night and the energy in the air is hypnotic there is always someone out to have a bad time on purpose and make that someone else's problem. It should be enough of a workout for Victor tonight. As the man passes the bar he pulls his jacket off and tossed it over the counter to the employee behind. "Keep an eye on that for me. My girl gets upset when I fuck up my suits." The rowdy clubber has already taken a swing at another guest so there's no holding back now. "Door!" Victor roars then tackles the man out of the club past one other member of security into the alley.
Victor rolled to the side and got to his feet and the aggressor grumbled and did the same. The door into the alley opened with two more men stepping out or more so being pushed into the fray. The door is slammed shut behind them. "Oh good, you've got friends!" Victor said with a smile. He exhaled, watching his breath rise before him. "So do you know where you fucked up or do I have to explain it slowly for you?"
"Fucking bastard!" One of the new ones sneered. A tall man with black hair quickly throws off his jacket revealing sleeves of tattoos and a boxer's physique. The second seemed less skilled at fighting and found a stray pipe sticking out of the snow. The aggressor sorted himself out then swung first. Again.
Victor caught the thrown fist, squeezed it then yanked the man towards him to crash his forehead into his nose breaking it easily. There is a wild look in Victor's eyes as blood streaks down his brow. "Then I guess I'm explaining it after all!" He ducks to avoid getting cracked in the skull by the pipe and quickly rounds on the assailant to slam his fist into his side. He can feel ribs breaking before the man goes flying back. He's gotten far too strong for these kinds of brawls. "I was hoping this was going to be more interesting," he jeered while easily dancing around the other two men.
"Shut your fucking mouth," the boxer snapped. His fists turned to foot long sharp blades and Victor became noticeably excited! As he was slashed at he dodged by backing up then ducked under one last slash to avoid the main aggressor getting back up and trying to slam his fist into his head!
"Oh hey, you're awake!" Victor laughed. It was clear to him the one with blades for hands has never used them with how he still swings his arms like they're fists. "Those blades are going to waste, bud!" Victor darted out of the way, sliding across the icy ground until his back was pressed against a wall. The blade boxer slammed one blade at his shoulder clearly going to maim and not kill. For now. While shifting Victor's shirt takes the stab and he quickly jabbed the man in the throat making him gasp. What air left in his lungs was punched out with one well placed strike and he was down.
There was no time to mock that man. The shifty one with the pipe was back and another swing and another miss. The pipe slammed into brick and the vibrations made him drop it. The man that started this helped end this faster. Charging at Victor would be a smarter idea if it wasn't the dead of winter. A patch of ice turned that charge into a stumble. Victor rolled over his shoulder and let him run face first into a wall. The last man standing got an arm around his throat and slammed into the ground.
With the problem solved Victor moved the groaning men clear of the door then stepped back into the club. As he straightens out his clothes he grins at the crowd waiting to see the results of the fight. "Anyone else want to press their luck tonight? I'm all warmed up now!" he announced with his arms wide. There were faces that recognized him and quickly backed off pulling their friends with them. "Excellent!" He checked the condition of his shirt then went to retrieve his jacket from the bar. A wet rag was handed over to wipe the blood from his forehead while Branagh chastised him for not letting the others handle the light work. "I could go for another round if I'm honest."
"You're gonna scare people away from this place doing that!" Branagh grunts. Hopefully scare the dumb fucks that think it's a good idea to start a fight where no one will call the cops to stop the staff! A shot was offered up to Victor and he quickly downed it in one gulp. After another hour or watching the club he does make his leave for home. The men in the alley will get collected and ushered on their way to keep from dying of exposure.
In his apartment Victor checked on the game plan Damian was setting up for the benefit dinner. Most of which he agreed with a few notes. He gets to come armored since he'll be playing the role of hired security. They won't search the Waynes' personal guard. Olivia may need to be convinced to come along as well. Or not. She will get to dress up for the event and maybe see Melissa as well. Speaking of Olivia! He sent her a quick selfie to own up to the shirt he tore. Her response was not what he expected.
"Always tearing your clothes when it should be mine."
A dumb grin spread on his face while his ears turned red. He loosened his tie and slipped into his bedroom with his phone dialing Olivia. He expects a sleepy hello or maybe even a yawn. A breathy gasp comes over the line and he feels a shiver rush up his spine. "Well Miss Wayne, you sound busy!" he chuckled. He should have driven back to the manor! "What's got you so worked up?"
"You!" she moaned while she sank into his guest bed, face pressed into his pillow. "I finally felt tired without needing to release more energy so I went to your room to sleep. The bed smells like you!"
Victor is practically kicking himself. Fuck getting some space. Before he can tease and ask exactly what she is doing she moaned then whined. He pushed his back to the wall his bed was against and slid to the floor. "This is absolute torture. Can I at least watch?"
"No," she giggles. "Just keep listening if you want. I'm not stopping. I can't!"
"By all means, babe. Sing for me, Liv." He hears her soft giggle and then another gasp and he's crumbling. He should have gone back up that mountain. He's getting his revenge tomorrow!