17 advance chapters in my Patreon.
Patreon.com/Saintbarbido.
::-------------------------------------------::
(Davian's P.O.V)
Oswald Cobblepot was dead. His soul rose up, a murky white ball that had patches of black around it.
As silent as a ghost (haha), a shroud materialized, bowing to me as it dragged the soul to the afterlife.
I needed to reconcile myself with what I had done.
I had left this life behind. But now I was back in. This time however, at least I was doing something worthwhile.
One by one, I would kill each of these unrepentant maniacs.
And I would show Batman, that justice is not a blunt tool meant to trim away at the edges of corruption.
No, true unfiltered justice was swift, deadly, uncompromising and above all, fair.
If you killed an innocent, not once or twice, then you deserved death. No quarter given.
"Freeze! Put your hands up!"
The cops finally arrived.
I looked back at them, and then waved, disappearing in a burst of Shunpo.
Up on the rooftop overlooking the murder I had committed, I removed my mask.
"Now what? How are you going to contact this Calculator after you killed the only lead you had? Will he want to work with you knowing you killed a villain he clearly has some relationship with?"
Chase asked.
"I couldn't let him go Chase. This was never only about figuring out where Bronze Tiger was."
"It was also about testing my own conviction and resolve. I needed to see if I could really do this."
I looked at my hands.
"And?"
Chase prompted.
I tightened them into fists.
"I can."
I had the conviction. But on the other hand, I still had an objective to complete.
Penguin obviously couldn't help me and I didn't want to go after another Batman villain because they would most likely end up dead at my arms.
So Plan B it is.
I turned away from the murder I'd committed, my mind on the impact this would have on Gotham.
I wasn't dumb. This would cause chaos. And I was betting on a gang war.
Which was familiar territory for me. But while the villains were going at each other, I could start making my move.
(General P.O.V)
(Gotham Hospital)
Harvey Bullock sat on the waiting room while carelessly perusing the magazine. He stopped on a page that was talking about the risks of smoking.
The detective snorted, he knew what was going to kill him, thank you very much. And it wasn't a rolled up piece of paper with nicotine.
No, Gotham would get him. Sooner or later, it would get him.
"He's ready for you."
A nurse informed him and Harvey grunted, getting to his feet before walking towards the room.
The second he opened the door he was hit by an overpowering scent of flowers. Daffodils, roses...a bunch he didn't know, all seemed to take up whatever space the small room had.
Navigating through the maze of flowers, all the while not even surprised because Gordon was loved by everyone,(except the villains), he finally reached the frame of the bed.
Then took a second to observe the police commissioner. Gordon had his eyes looking out towards the morning sun. They didn't say anything for a while.
Harvey sighed, letting his weight fall onto the chair next to the bed. He reached into his pocket and brought out with it, a pair of glasses and a folded up Newspaper.
He threw them both gently on Gordon's lap.
The commissioner didn't react.
Harvey leaned back in his chair.
"Penguin is dead."
That got a reaction out of Gordon. He turned his head towards Harvey and the latter blinked.
Gordon's eyes seemed...haunted. As if he had seen too much.
Without even looking at the Newspaper, he addressed Harvey.
"Get my coat."
(Elsewhere)
She jumped in quietly, casting another glance at the dark room before breathing out in relief.
Then the lights came on, spooking her.
"Mom?!"
Artemis yelled,
"What are you doing in my room?"
Her mother's face was set in a frown that managed to look hurt and furious at the same time.
"I thought we talked about this! You promised me that you would stop going out! Do you want to end up in a wheelchair like me?!"
Her mother barked out sternly.
"I'm sorry! I couldn't just stand by and do nothing! I hate feeling useless!"
Artemis snapped back.
Mother and daughter both looked at each other surprised.
Then her mother sighed, looking away.
"Trust me, I know more about feeling useless than you can ever imagine."
Then she turned her wheelchair around using some expert maneuvering and left.
"Mom...I..."
Artemis reached out in a whisper.
She hesitated and then sighed, sitting on her bed and removing her mask. She closed her eyes, trying hard not to cry.
She'd lost her friends. Davian probably hated her and Raven...oh god, Raven had sacrificed herself to bring them all back. The entire city.
Including her, even though she had betrayed them. And because of that betrayal, Raven was dead.
Artemis held back her sob. The only good thing that had come out of this was that the kids were safe.
Once everyone had come back, she had tried to contact Batman but another man had answered, explaining that Batman was not available.
She had explained the entire situation with the kids and a few minutes later the authorities had shown up, taken the children with them and praised her for saving them.
Cops were not normally that nice.
How was she to know that with the improved armors, tactical gear and other field equipment Wayne enterprises had donated to the GCPD, a favor for Mr. Wayne was something they'd scramble to fullfil?
Of course she verified and followed after them to make sure the kids would be safe. Along with Jason, one of the kids, getting medical care as he was still unconscious.
Everything went off without a hitch, the kids were mostly orphans who had grown up on the street.
The cops had taken them to one of Wayne's group homes and Artemis had been checking in regularly to make sure they were alright.
Her mother however was uncompromising in her demand for Artemis to leave the life of costumes behind. She couldn't do it though. Not with her father and sister...
There was a light knock on her window.
She frowned looking out and seeing no one. She turned to her door, thinking she needed to talk to her mom and make her understand why she had to do this. But first, she faced the window.
A few seconds later, Artemis pulled herself to the roof, landing and immediately notching an arrow at the figure with it's back turned away from her, staring out into the city.
"Can you imagine she brought everyone back? Even those who didn't deserve it. Like you."
The figure said, looking over his shoulder at her.
Artemis stumbled back as if she'd been slapped.
"D-Davian."
She muttered wondering why she hadn't noticed the silver hair.
"Hello Traitor."
Davian greeted with a mocking salute.
"How's life, now that you're alive and she's dead?"
With every word, Artemis heart felt squeezed.
"I..."
She tried to find the words and failed. Her hands grew heavy. Her legs lost strength as she knelt down and let the tears flow, staring at the floor.
"Oh god...it's all my fault. I did...this. If I hadn't trusted..."
A pair of boots appeared in her vision.
"Get up."
Davian ordered, looking pissed.
Artemis turned her face up to stare at him. His eyes were glowing purple.
"Let me make one thing clear, I won't let her sacrifice be in vain. She let you live Artemis, even knowing that you were keeping an eye on us for him. For Batman."
Artemis could feel the rage and Vitriol he had when saying his name.
"I fucking hate him. I won't lie and say that I'm not pissed off at you too, I am."
Artemis couldn't look away from his eyes. The purple seemed to pull her in.
She tightened her fingers into fists. Why was she thinking about useless things? Davian hated her. There was no way he would...
"Why are you here Davian?"
Artemis asked bitterly.
He didn't look like he was here to kill her or make her pay for what he had
"You owe me." The Soul Reaper intoned.
"You owe Raven. And I've come to collect."
Artemis tensed. Come to collect?
What did he mean? Was she wrong about him wanting to kill her? She couldn't leave her mom alone. She had no one else after Jade and her dad had left. She would fight for...
"I'm looking for someone and I know that you can help me. Do this and I'll consider our debt paid."
Davian interrupted her thoughts.
Artemis almost breathed out in relief. She swallowed.
"Ok who?"
"A man called Ben Turner aka Bronze Tiger."
Artemis frowned, getting to her feet.
"I don't know who that is."
She shook her head.
A flash of something appeared in Davian's face. Disappointment.
Artemis felt her heart squeeze slightly and without much thought blurted out something she shouldn't have.
"But I know someone who would!"
"Really?"
Davian asked a little interested but not too invested.
"Yeah." The archer sighed, leaning on the wall and sliding down it.
"It's my sister. She works for the League of Shadows, if there is someone who can find anyone you want, it's her."
She explained, knowing how connected Jade actually was.
"However, it's going to cost you. I can arrange a meeting but I won't be of much help trying to convince her to help you out."
Jade was in love with money and excitement. She had a fee so all Davian had to do was be good for it.
"Good. That works for me."
He replied, folding his hands above his chest. The light from a nearby cell tower seemed to cast his shadow over her.
"Let's meet up at Luigi's tomorrow at 10 in the night."
She told him, knowing that Jade would show up if she wasn't on her mission. And fortunately enough, she wasn't.
Davian turned to leave, taking steps to the edge of the roof.
"Davi."
Artemis called out,
"I'm- I'm sorry. About everything."
She told him, her heart pumping fast.
Davian said nothing for a few seconds, then he looked over his shoulder at her.
"Don't call me that."
Then he disappeared, leaving the archer all alone on the roof. Artemis head slumped.
A few minutes after Davian had left, someone dropped onto the roof like a nimble cat.
Her sister straightened up before Artemis and the Archer felt a small surge of Jealousy at how everything seemed to complement Jade's body.
She wasn't dressed in her costume. She had on a sleeveless top, with a black leather jacket and some jeans. Her usually unruly hair was tied back in a perfect pony tail and she looked for all intents and purposes, normal.
"My my Artemis, late night meet up with that sexy hunk? Mom would throw a fit. First the superheroing and now this...seems like someone's in her teen rebellion phase."
Jade mused, chuckling to herself.
"You were watching us?"
Artemis felt angry.
"Yeah. And I can also read lips. You just offered my services to someone without my consent. How about we start there?"
Her sister answered, arms akimbo.
Artemis sighed. And now the true battle starts, trying to convince Jade to go to the meeting.
17 advance chapters in my Patreon.
Patreon.com/Saintbarbido.
::-------------------------------------------::
(Davian's P.O.V)
Oswald Cobblepot was dead. His soul rose up, a murky white ball that had patches of black around it.
As silent as a ghost (haha), a shroud materialized, bowing to me as it dragged the soul to the afterlife.
I needed to reconcile myself with what I had done.
I had left this life behind. But now I was back in. This time however, at least I was doing something worthwhile.
One by one, I would kill each of these unrepentant maniacs.
And I would show Batman, that justice is not a blunt tool meant to trim away at the edges of corruption.
No, true unfiltered justice was swift, deadly, uncompromising and above all, fair.
If you killed an innocent, not once or twice, then you deserved death. No quarter given.
"Freeze! Put your hands up!"
The cops finally arrived.
I looked back at them, and then waved, disappearing in a burst of Shunpo.
Up on the rooftop overlooking the murder I had committed, I removed my mask.
"Now what? How are you going to contact this Calculator after you killed the only lead you had? Will he want to work with you knowing you killed a villain he clearly has some relationship with?"
Chase asked.
"I couldn't let him go Chase. This was never only about figuring out where Bronze Tiger was."
"It was also about testing my own conviction and resolve. I needed to see if I could really do this."
I looked at my hands.
"And?"
Chase prompted.
I tightened them into fists.
"I can."
I had the conviction. But on the other hand, I still had an objective to complete.
Penguin obviously couldn't help me and I didn't want to go after another Batman villain because they would most likely end up dead at my arms.
So Plan B it is.
I turned away from the murder I'd committed, my mind on the impact this would have on Gotham.
I wasn't dumb. This would cause chaos. And I was betting on a gang war.
Which was familiar territory for me. But while the villains were going at each other, I could start making my move.
(General P.O.V)
(Gotham Hospital)
Harvey Bullock sat on the waiting room while carelessly perusing the magazine. He stopped on a page that was talking about the risks of smoking.
The detective snorted, he knew what was going to kill him, thank you very much. And it wasn't a rolled up piece of paper with nicotine.
No, Gotham would get him. Sooner or later, it would get him.
"He's ready for you."
A nurse informed him and Harvey grunted, getting to his feet before walking towards the room.
The second he opened the door he was hit by an overpowering scent of flowers. Daffodils, roses...a bunch he didn't know, all seemed to take up whatever space the small room had.
Navigating through the maze of flowers, all the while not even surprised because Gordon was loved by everyone,(except the villains), he finally reached the frame of the bed.
Then took a second to observe the police commissioner. Gordon had his eyes looking out towards the morning sun. They didn't say anything for a while.
Harvey sighed, letting his weight fall onto the chair next to the bed. He reached into his pocket and brought out with it, a pair of glasses and a folded up Newspaper.
He threw them both gently on Gordon's lap.
The commissioner didn't react.
Harvey leaned back in his chair.
"Penguin is dead."
That got a reaction out of Gordon. He turned his head towards Harvey and the latter blinked.
Gordon's eyes seemed...haunted. As if he had seen too much.
Without even looking at the Newspaper, he addressed Harvey.
"Get my coat."
(Elsewhere)
She jumped in quietly, casting another glance at the dark room before breathing out in relief.
Then the lights came on, spooking her.
"Mom?!"
Artemis yelled,
"What are you doing in my room?"
Her mother's face was set in a frown that managed to look hurt and furious at the same time.
"I thought we talked about this! You promised me that you would stop going out! Do you want to end up in a wheelchair like me?!"
Her mother barked out sternly.
"I'm sorry! I couldn't just stand by and do nothing! I hate feeling useless!"
Artemis snapped back.
Mother and daughter both looked at each other surprised.
Then her mother sighed, looking away.
"Trust me, I know more about feeling useless than you can ever imagine."
Then she turned her wheelchair around using some expert maneuvering and left.
"Mom...I..."
Artemis reached out in a whisper.
She hesitated and then sighed, sitting on her bed and removing her mask. She closed her eyes, trying hard not to cry.
She'd lost her friends. Davian probably hated her and Raven...oh god, Raven had sacrificed herself to bring them all back. The entire city.
Including her, even though she had betrayed them. And because of that betrayal, Raven was dead.
Artemis held back her sob. The only good thing that had come out of this was that the kids were safe.
Once everyone had come back, she had tried to contact Batman but another man had answered, explaining that Batman was not available.
She had explained the entire situation with the kids and a few minutes later the authorities had shown up, taken the children with them and praised her for saving them.
Cops were not normally that nice.
How was she to know that with the improved armors, tactical gear and other field equipment Wayne enterprises had donated to the GCPD, a favor for Mr. Wayne was something they'd scramble to fullfil?
Of course she verified and followed after them to make sure the kids would be safe. Along with Jason, one of the kids, getting medical care as he was still unconscious.
Everything went off without a hitch, the kids were mostly orphans who had grown up on the street.
The cops had taken them to one of Wayne's group homes and Artemis had been checking in regularly to make sure they were alright.
Her mother however was uncompromising in her demand for Artemis to leave the life of costumes behind. She couldn't do it though. Not with her father and sister...
There was a light knock on her window.
She frowned looking out and seeing no one. She turned to her door, thinking she needed to talk to her mom and make her understand why she had to do this. But first, she faced the window.
A few seconds later, Artemis pulled herself to the roof, landing and immediately notching an arrow at the figure with it's back turned away from her, staring out into the city.
"Can you imagine she brought everyone back? Even those who didn't deserve it. Like you."
The figure said, looking over his shoulder at her.
Artemis stumbled back as if she'd been slapped.
"D-Davian."
She muttered wondering why she hadn't noticed the silver hair.
"Hello Traitor."
Davian greeted with a mocking salute.
"How's life, now that you're alive and she's dead?"
With every word, Artemis heart felt squeezed.
"I..."
She tried to find the words and failed. Her hands grew heavy. Her legs lost strength as she knelt down and let the tears flow, staring at the floor.
"Oh god...it's all my fault. I did...this. If I hadn't trusted..."
A pair of boots appeared in her vision.
"Get up."
Davian ordered, looking pissed.
Artemis turned her face up to stare at him. His eyes were glowing purple.
"Let me make one thing clear, I won't let her sacrifice be in vain. She let you live Artemis, even knowing that you were keeping an eye on us for him. For Batman."
Artemis could feel the rage and Vitriol he had when saying his name.
"I fucking hate him. I won't lie and say that I'm not pissed off at you too, I am."
Artemis couldn't look away from his eyes. The purple seemed to pull her in.
She tightened her fingers into fists. Why was she thinking about useless things? Davian hated her. There was no way he would...
"Why are you here Davian?"
Artemis asked bitterly.
He didn't look like he was here to kill her or make her pay for what he had
"You owe me." The Soul Reaper intoned.
"You owe Raven. And I've come to collect."
Artemis tensed. Come to collect?
What did he mean? Was she wrong about him wanting to kill her? She couldn't leave her mom alone. She had no one else after Jade and her dad had left. She would fight for...
"I'm looking for someone and I know that you can help me. Do this and I'll consider our debt paid."
Davian interrupted her thoughts.
Artemis almost breathed out in relief. She swallowed.
"Ok who?"
"A man called Ben Turner aka Bronze Tiger."
Artemis frowned, getting to her feet.
"I don't know who that is."
She shook her head.
A flash of something appeared in Davian's face. Disappointment.
Artemis felt her heart squeeze slightly and without much thought blurted out something she shouldn't have.
"But I know someone who would!"
"Really?"
Davian asked a little interested but not too invested.
"Yeah." The archer sighed, leaning on the wall and sliding down it.
"It's my sister. She works for the League of Shadows, if there is someone who can find anyone you want, it's her."
She explained, knowing how connected Jade actually was.
"However, it's going to cost you. I can arrange a meeting but I won't be of much help trying to convince her to help you out."
Jade was in love with money and excitement. She had a fee so all Davian had to do was be good for it.
"Good. That works for me."
He replied, folding his hands above his chest. The light from a nearby cell tower seemed to cast his shadow over her.
"Let's meet up at Luigi's tomorrow at 10 in the night."
She told him, knowing that Jade would show up if she wasn't on her mission. And fortunately enough, she wasn't.
Davian turned to leave, taking steps to the edge of the roof.
"Davi."
Artemis called out,
"I'm- I'm sorry. About everything."
She told him, her heart pumping fast.
Davian said nothing for a few seconds, then he looked over his shoulder at her.
"Don't call me that."
Then he disappeared, leaving the archer all alone on the roof. Artemis head slumped.
A few minutes after Davian had left, someone dropped onto the roof like a nimble cat.
Her sister straightened up before Artemis and the Archer felt a small surge of Jealousy at how everything seemed to complement Jade's body.
She wasn't dressed in her costume. She had on a sleeveless top, with a black leather jacket and some jeans. Her usually unruly hair was tied back in a perfect pony tail and she looked for all intents and purposes, normal.
"My my Artemis, late night meet up with that sexy hunk? Mom would throw a fit. First the superheroing and now this...seems like someone's in her teen rebellion phase."
Jade mused, chuckling to herself.
"You were watching us?"
Artemis felt angry.
"Yeah. And I can also read lips. You just offered my services to someone without my consent. How about we start there?"
Her sister answered, arms akimbo.
Artemis sighed. And now the true battle starts, trying to convince Jade to go to the meeting.
