The sweltering heat beat down on Dick as he sat on the hood of his car
waiting; waiting for a person he never thought he would turn to.
His white shirt was drenched in sweat, and he wiped his brow with the
bottom of his shirt. A pair of Rayban shades protected his eyes
from the bright sun that shone over the highway that led between the
Las Vegas city limits, and the path that he took to get from his home
all the way here. A cool jug of water rested on the hot sand, and
Dick picked it up, took off the lid, and took several big sips of it
before placing the lid back on. When he sat it back down, he saw
a red car headed his way, and put a hand over his eyes as the glare
from the sun that shone off the car was blinding.
The car stopped several feet from where Dick stood, and the engine
purred for a few moments before the driver turned it off. Out of
the driver's side came a woman with long blonde hair tied in a pony
tail, and she wore a green shirt that said UCLA, a pair of hip hugging
shorts, and a pair of Reebok tennis shoes. She walked over to
Dick, and pushed up her rose tinted shades.
"So, why did you call me all the way out here?"
Dick got up off the hood, and put his hands in his pockets. His
face was stern and serious.
"I need your help, Bette."
"It's Elizabeth now, Dick."
"That's a change."
"I've gone through a lot of changes," she said. "I'm not some
preening girl looking for her Robin Hood anymore."
Dick looked away. "Look, the past is the past, and as I said I
need your help."
"What do you need?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest and
cocking her head to the side.
"I need you to protect Blüdhaven..."
Elizabeth turned her back to him, and started to walk away. He
ran up to her, and grabbed her arm.
"Hey wait, where are you going?"
"You honestly expect me to believe that?"
"Yes, you don't know what's happened in Blüdhaven lately," said
Dick, "Blockbuster is behind bars, and Soames has taken over, but it
isn't for the better."
"Why can't you protect your city?"
"It's complicated."
"Isn't it always," she said. "You have never believed in me to be
a hero, so why now?"
Dick's face fell. "Because I have no one else to turn to that will
understand where I am coming from."
"That's hard to believe."
"No, it isn't," said Dick. "Superman has problems with Luthor, Batman
and I are not on speaking terms, and Wonder Woman is busy leading her
country. Even if they were able to lend a hand; they don't
understand Blüdhaven the way I do."
Elizabeth licked her lips, and ran a hand through her hair. "You think
something big is going down?"
"Yes, I do."
"Tell me then, what do you want me to do?"
"Come with me. I know a place where I can train you," said Dick.
"Blüdhaven is far more dangerous than you have ever experienced."
Elizabeth smiled. "I finally get to see some of your moves, eh?"
"Not all of my moves," said Dick. "I'll show you the Brazilian Jujitsu
I added to my style."
"What did you learn that for?"
"Comes in handy when dealing with single stronger opponents," said
Dick, as he started back to his car. "You just follow my lead."
Elizabeth nodded, and got back in her car. Once Dick pulled out
and got onto the road, she followed behind him.
Desmond lay on his cot with a bandage around his throat and around his
knuckles. His eyes were narrowed as he stared up at the
reinforced ceiling, and all he could think of was how his hated enemy
nearly killed him. His blood boiled at the humiliation and
degradation he had to go through since being toppled from his position
as Blüdhaven’s kingpin. But what was worse was his own
lieutenant stood in charge of everything he had, and not a single of
his loyal men were left in any position to help him, or topple
Soames. Then, suddenly, a noise interrupted Desmond's brooding;
he heard the sounds of wheels squeaking, and he saw his mother.
"M-mom?"
She looked at him behind the air mask she had on, and smiled, and then
wheezed, "You didn't think I was going to let my boy rot in prison did
you?"
"But, how?"
"Never mind that," she said. "Once you are free, we must get away from
here."
"What about Blüdhaven?"
"I have it all taken care of, my son," she said, a sick smile crossing
her face.
Desmond allowed himself to smile at his mother's wickedness, and the
mercenaries that accompanied her opened his cell. When he got
out, she noticed he was hurt.
"Roland, oh god… What did they do to you!"
"It wasn't them mom," he said as he leaned next to her. "It was NIGHTWING!"
"That," she said, but then clutched her chest as the anger over the
treatment of her son was too much.
"Mom!" said Desmond. He looked to the mercenaries. "Don't
stand there. Do something!"
One of the mercs took a med-kit off his back, and tended to her.
Her breathing had become shallow, and after a careful examination the
merc shook his head. Desmond's mom reached a hand up, and he took
it.
"D-don't let them t-take you away ag..."
Her eyes rolled back up into her head, and Desmond closed his
eyes. The merc came around, and placed his hand on
Desmond's shoulder.
"Come on, we have to go."
Desmond's eyes opened then, and they burned with a red, hot
intensity. He grabbed the merc's head, and turned it all the way
round snapping all the vertebrae leaving a haunting corpse for the
guards to find. He then looked at the other mercenaries.
"Die with him, or come with me," he said. "Choose now!"
The mercs nodded their heads, and Desmond led the way out.
The Crime Prevention Squad stood together as Captain Rohrbach came out
to address them. She had her brown hair cut short, and she wore
the colors of the CPS, which were black police uniforms with silver
trims on the shoulders, and silver badges that had Blüdhaven on
the top, department on the bottom, and CPS in the middle.
She held her police issue nightstick under arm, and addressed the
members of the squad; all of whom filled out the office that was
cleared out in the Blüdhaven Police Department's reorganization.
"All right boys," she said. "Listen up, and listen good."
She looked around to make sure they were listening then continued.
"Our job is to make sure that Blüdhaven stays clean, and free of
the corruption that once plagued it. So, if anyone gets any
bright ideas of being a crooked cop they will answer to me."
Not a single cop in the room flinched when she said that, nor when she
looked them down. She picked out her unit from the squad, and
gave them permission to issue orders.
Once she walked out of the room, and the bustle of her lieutenants was
behind her; she felt a sudden wave of nausea come over her, and she ran
toward the women's bathroom. She shot the door open, and ran into
the nearest open stall, and hurled. When the sickness eased up,
she leaned against the wall of the stall, clutching her stomach, and
tears started streaming down her face.
"Oh, god!"
Kasumi lie on a cot as her wounds were being tended to again when
Sensei walked in. He motioned for the medics to leave, and then
walked up to her. She was awake, but had undergone deep
meditation to flatten the pain, and regain her strength.
"Awaken, Kasumi!"
Immediately her body tensed, and her fingers moved. She showed
signs of life, and leaned up on the cot. She turned to the sound
of her master's breathing, and bowed.
"I am yours to command noble Sensei," she said.
"Our spies have managed to learn that Mayor Soames is returning to
Blüdhaven, and that he will be heading directly to City Hall,"
said Sensei. "Kill him, and your failures should be forgiven."
"I understand," she said.
She put on the fresh uniform that awaited her, and then slid the katana
blade in its scabbard.
Mayor Soames adjusted his tie, as he looked at himself in the mirror of
the small bathroom he was in. To his left was a toilet, and in
front of him was a sink that rested beneath the mirror. He put
his gold watch on, and gold stickpin. Then he exited the bathroom
into the private cabin of his airplane. Aleta sat in the corner
watching over him like a hawk, like she did in their previous
marriage. Which was something he admired about her in this case,
but hated when they were married. Scarlet was over at the table
sipping wine, and reading the reports that had been faxed to them.
"How bad is it?" he asked.
She looked up at him and set her wine aside. "Sharp's death has
been spread through the newspapers. They are reporting it as a
gang related violence; possibly a hit ordered by the new crime boss,
Giuseppe."
Soames took a seat on the other side of her, and she slid the folder to
him so he could look it over. After a few pages, he tossed it
back on the table. His teeth clenched, and he slammed his
fist on the table eliciting a yelp from Scarlet.
"Damn him!" said Soames. "Agent Blaine is ruining everything I have
worked for. And he is doing it all with the spectacular stupidity
of a politician."
Scarlet cleared her throat, and Soames glared at her. She avoided
looking at him, fearing his wrath.
Aleta pursed her lips, and then grabbed her purse. "Maybe we should
turn the tables on Blaine."
"And just how do you suppose we do that?" asked Soames, his face all
flustered. "He's got that god damn Crime Prevention Squad in the
'Haven, and I signed the bill that legalized them."
"Simple," said Aleta. "We turn his attention to some one more, ahem, deserving."
She showed him a picture of Nightwing, and the wheels began to turn in
Soames’ head. A smile formed on his face.
"That's brilliant, darling."
He leaned back in the seat and placed his arm over the side.
"Blaine hates vigilantes, and if we throw him the biggest bone as a
distraction, we can undermine him from within."
Aleta nodded, and a cold, ruthless smile spread across her face.
Scarlet shivered, as her boss and sometimes lover, and his ex-wife's
frosty looks were seriously unnerving her.
Agent Blaine sat at his desk with his tie loosened, and his collar
pulled back when a young Asian agent walked in, and cleared her throat.
"Sir," she said.
Agent Blaine looked up from his files, and saw the young agent.
She was petite with black hair, and brown eyes; her blouse was worn to
suitable standards. And she wore a mini-skirt that revealed a
decent amount of leg, but was still within acceptable limits.
"Yes?"
"We ran a test on that vigilante's blood as per procedure," she said,
"and you are not going to believe who he is."
"Who?" he asked.
She set down the folder in front of him, and there was a picture of a
then twelve year old Richard John Grayson standing beside billionaire
philanthropist Bruce Wayne. Agent Blaine looked up, and for the
first time in his career; he smiled.
To
be Continued... Next Issue: OBSESSIONS! NEVERMORE:
If bravery is forever interlinked with stupidity, then let me revel in
my ignorance.
