Summary: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Act I | Spider-woman has to navigate a new world all on her own, until she can get a solid foot on the ground while attempting to not attract unwanted attention. God please give this girl a break.
Chapters | Guide
Relationships | Platonic and Romantic
Prologue | A Whole New World
Chapter 1 | Home Sick
Chapter 2 | Spider Luck
Chapter 3 | Weak and Alone
Chapter 4 | Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 5 | No Time to Waste
Chapter 6 | Lock In
Chapter 7 | Hunt
Chapter 8 | No More
Chapter 9 | ... |Progress: 0%|
Chapter 10 | ...
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Act II | Spider-woman finds it hard to keeping her double life separated with the newfound relationships and acquaintanceship. All because she ended up attracting unwanted attention. God please give this girl a loooooong break.
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Act III | Spider-woman finds herself in a predicament, she just wants to get back home, again. God please just give this girl a fucking break.
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I'm not that knowledgeable of the dc comics. This is a hobby not my obligation. I'm working on getting to know more about the comic accurate characters, if you have any comic recommendations that would be great.
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Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 8 - No More
Youâre fucked.
Thereâs literally no other way to describe your situation.
If you werenât absolutely terrified about abandoning your morals-fuck them kids, youâd already be setting up your beacon with a one way ticket home.Â
Once youâre home, the first thing youâll do is take a bath, and visit Spider HQ to catch up on the situation with the Spot, and then visit Aunt May, Uncle Ben, and Peterâs graves. No more fights, no more swinging, no more hero business. Youâll take the week off, ask Miguel to cover for you just so you can rest. Just to put all this behind you. Like a bad dream.
Just like a bad dream, you started to feel the early signs of shutting down. Your body wants recovery, but staying here, there will never be recovery. You just donât feel safe enough to shut down completely. And this case is eviscerating your health.
But you refuse to lie down. You canât. Not here, not in Gotham, not in this universe. Just make it home, then you can rest.Â
All you have to do now, is find Jacob, and get him arrested. Then Batman and the others will find the missing teens. You already did everything you could as an intruder, an outsider. You canât risk much. Youâre already stretched too thin.Â
God you might just pick up drinking and become an alcoholic. Oh you donât have a-legal- ID so there goes that coping mechanism. Maybe they can see your lifeless eyes and just give you some as pity. Youâll welcome that.
After managing to lose the Boy Wonder, you made sure to avoid surveillance cameras as best as you could. You donât know who exactly is watching (if theyâre watching at all), and you definitely donât want to find out.Â
Stalking the alleys you watch it start to get darker out. Spider sense became more of a dull noise, you knew you were in the clear. You take a shaky breath and regain your bearings. Fear is creeping up your spine when you recall just how many (dangerous) people you have encountered today.
You first (almost) bumped into- not one- but TWO of the most dangerous people that exist (Damian Wayne, and Jonathan Kent), then you USED Red (Jason mother-fucking Todd) Hood as a shield- Oh!- Letâs not forget about Duke Thomas! Then there was glimpses of- possibly- Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown together, and last but not fucking least the one and only Richard âDickâ (Nightwing) Grayson.Â
You swear that if you come into contact with Batman, youâre buying a ticket to Metropolis or Star City. Youâll be gone.Â
This day has gone on long enough. Youâre tired, hungry, and your sanity is almost nonexistent. You hope, plead, beg, to anyone who will hear your prayers, that this day wonât or canât get any worse.
Knock on wood.
After taking a quick break, you regain your breath. Letâs think things through once more.
You know Jacob is leaving tonight. But heâll only leave now when he has you. If you arenât found tonight, heâll leave people to fetch you. If he leaves, then sure they can trace him back to Spain. But heâll most likely be with the man who backs him up, his boss. He wonât be found easily, it could take years, maybe decades.Â
Those children would have to wait. Wait a long time, that is, if they survive.
If Jacob disappears and youâre not there, it will have been all for naught. You'd rather risk being with Jacob and knowing his location than leaving it up to chance, hopes, and prayers that Batman and/or the Justice League would catch them before they go off grid.Â
You donât have decades worth of time either. You donât think youâd survive that long in this world, in this universe.Â
Youâll be stranded, your watch will die, and you canât risk your existence in Gotham. Youâll be on the run. Who would you trust? Can you trust anyone? Certainly not Batman. Superman? Yea, but he would most likely just take you straight to Batman.Â
Maybe the Flash? Heâs smart. Oh! Maybe the Green Lantern? You know they handle space stuff. Wonder Woman is a no go, youâre not dealing with Gods and magic, youâre dealing with science.Â
The Spot was accidentally made with science, everything about you is science. You just need better equipment and tools. Thatâs all. Sure you can build just fine where youâre at. But it takes too long and youâre constantly paranoid.Â
But regardless. Youâll make it home. That is something youâre sure of.Â
Time to get back into business.
Reaching into your pockets, your blood runs cold.
Oh no⌠Thereâs nothing there⌠your envelope is gone. And the urge to vomit once again resurfaces.
The money inside the envelope didnât exactly bother you (kinda, it is your money), it was your newly created passport. A form of Identification. A fake one. One that ties you along with the very criminal they want to apprehend.Â
Well, isnât this just swell.
Sweatpants fucking suck balls. Watching as the streetlights start to turn on, you decide to keep on moving. The evening breeze makes you feel all types of exposed. Glancing at the (useless) watch, thumb rubbing across the cold material, you lament what could have been.
âPeter⌠nothing is- going well⌠I miss you- all of you.â Eyes watching Gothamites slowly dwindle in numbers. âI donât know what to do. I just want to see you.â Wish you were here, those words left to yourself. Very personal, and very out of place here.
Grabbing the only object that didnât fall when you were manhandled by a certain police officer, you watch the burner phone vibrate an incoming call. You watch the phone vibrate on and on until it stops.Â
Only one person knows this number. Only one. And you donât want to talk to him. Not now. Not when you donât have a face you can scrutinize- to dissect every expression he makes. You refuse to give him the upper hand willingly.
Grip tightens, almost cracking the dang thing before putting it away. You donât have time for this. Watching both sides and relying on your tingle, you walk out. No money and no mask, so your face is basically nude for the world to see.
Just great.
Head low, just like other Gothamites, your next destination is to get out of dodge. Hands inside pockets, most likely looking sketchy as fuck, you wonder around, looking both ways and doing your best to keep out of sight, keeping mostly to backroads unless absolutely necessary.
Youâre pretty sure you've made it out of the Narrows a few streets back. Recalling exactly where you currently are with visual landmarks as your only source of guidance.Â
Speaking of guidance, there at a distance you can see Robinson Park. So you havenât completely left the Narrows. Robinson Park is the place you had been here before, and it has done quite a lot relaxing you.Â
Nature has always done well when youâre overwhelmed. It seems your body decided you needed some time for yourself before you'd deliberately throwing yourself into a lion's den. Just a little bit of peace. Like Peter used to give you.
He was-IS special. He had some sort of sixth sense when it came to you and your moods. He knew exactly when you were mad, sad, stressed, happy and especially scared. After the deaths of Aunt May and Uncle Ben, you had used the mask as a shield, and when that mask was off and you were yourself, you kept everything inside. Bottled up, packed away, and hidden. You couldnât afford to have cracks in your walls, you didnât have anything then. You never pretended to either.Â
You fought, and fought, and fought until your body ached, until you bleed, until you were seeing black. You would fight until your body would shut down, until your health would decline, until the time would come where you could finally close your eyes- permanently.
But Peter saved you.
When you saved him, it was like any other civilian youâd save. Youâd (most likely) never see them again. But this guy was persistent. Heâd find a way to follow you, to see you in action, and sometimes, he would end up getting into trouble and youâd have to save him again.
And smart Peter Parker managed to unmask you. And he became a constant in your life. A presence you eventually could not live without. And he knew that. He knew that- and yetâŚhe⌠he left you. No, he didnât leave you.
Peter- yes Peter just knew you so very well. He was good at so many things, and he was especially good at conveying them, but he struggled with valuing himself. For someone so very smart, and talented, he could not bring himself to see himself the same way he sees you.Â
Peter Parker⌠the man who became air to you, left you with nothing but hollowness. His soft and gentle hands became a noose around your neck, his warm and kind eyes became an abyss swallowing you whole, and his- hisâŚexistence- it soothed you. Made it feel like life is worth living, made you look forward to opening your eyes the next day, that life was worth protecting since he was there, because then, you could stand beside him.Â
No more throwing your life away, no more fighting until someone or something out there would end you. No more.Â
Peter Parker is no more.Â
No more warmth, no more kindness, no more devotion, no more safety, no more rest, no more, no more, no more. There is no more of anything anymore. Nothing. Youâre left with nothing. Hollow once more. Nothing that can stop you from relapsing to your old habits.Â
No more.
Peter Parker is softness and purity, like nature can be. You both would often go to the park to watch the stars, and you would listen to his cute rambles. Hands intertwined, his thumb rubbing your knuckles, and eyes filled with warmth and brilliance.Â
Life was worth living then. Worth waking up in the morning, worth holding back, worth the less broken bones, bruises and pain. Worth coming back to a warm embrace, gentle hands that would mend the hurt, warm eyes that would melt your coldness, warm laughs that would be contagious, warmth everything. A warm place to call home. A place to come back too. Peter Parker was the warmth you didnât realize you had been desperately clinging to.
Peter Parker was everything.Â
No more.
No more Peter Parker who would hold you. So when things often get too much, youâd return to nature for that embrace, for that illusion. Itâs not warm, but itâs the second closest thing to mimicking Peter Parkerâs warmth. No more.
Feet crunch on the fallen leaves, the cold grass nips at your ankles, sending shivers up your spine. The breeze dancing around you, reminding you just how exposed you feel your hand clutches the watch around your wrist. Metal is just as cold as your surroundings.
You sit down by a bench, take a deep breath and look up at the sky. Clouds consume the sky, despite it being evening, and the sun is setting, you canât spot a single star. Couldnât help but chuckle in disappointment. âThis fucking sucks.âÂ
From the corner of your eye you can imagine Peter sitting besides you looking up and also looking disappointed, sticking his tongue out towards the clouds. You can see it so clearly that youâre debating if you already have lost your sanity and are already losing your mind.
In a moment of vulnerability you discretely move your hand to place it on top of Peterâs only to watch him disappear like smoke clearing. Ah, you have gone insane.
This place sucks. This whole universe sucks. Your whole situation sucks. But this is the situation you are currently living in.Â
Staring at the clouds for minutes, the people around you- as scarce as they were before- dwindle to single digits and eventually disperse. You can feel yourself breathe a bit better now.
The burner phone had rung twice since you decided to ignore Jacob's first call. It seems he has finally gotten the memo, you just don't want to talk. The stress that has consumed you whole needs an outlet.
When you see Jacob, you'll swing. Yea, that sounds like a good idea. Heâs the reason you havenât left yet. The reason youâre being hunted by the birds like some sort of prey. Youâll give him a good whammy and then youâll leave. It wouldnât be enough to decompress but it would be satisfying to wipe that smug look on his fucking face.
After that your exit plan is simple.
Use your beacon, connect to HQ, report to Miguel and then get sent back home where youâll sleep off this whole situation. âIâm burning those fucking comics once I get home.â You had enough of the DCU, and you want nothing to do with Batman or anyone for that matter. Youâll apologize at Peterâs grave since heâs such a dork and comic book nerd. But you just had enough.
Seated on the bench for an additional time, you stretched your legs and got up. The cold keeps you awake and alert. Itâs time to end this once and for all. Tonight. Eyes closed, you imagine what the stars in Gotham look like. The image is replaced by the stars Peter and you would see back in your universe.
Itâs a much better view in your opinion.
A shaky smile makes its way to your face. Itâs wobbly, shaky but itâs still a smile. A real smile, no matter how scared you are. Itâs probably the first time youâd smiled since you got here. A real smile since the passing of Peter.Â
It would always hurt when thinking about him. It would always kill a piece of what is left of you.
Opening your eyes, the clouds still blocked out all the stars. Yea, home is way better. Getting up, you made your way towards the park's exit, using your spider sense as a look out for any potential bats or birds. A hum.
Thatâs what your spidey sense tells you. Youâre good to go. The wind nipping at your exposed skin, the sun just about to disappear, leaving an orangy hue that will soon be consumed by a dark blue hue.
You can use the night as a cover to find Jacob. To uncover where exactly he planned on taking you. Once you find that, youâll forward that information to Jim Gordon and call it off. They can handle the rest. The Justice League can handle anything else if it gets to that. Youâd have done your part and in good conscience you can go home.Â
The Justice League (from what you remember) are competent. Those are the big leagues, the best of the best. Yes. They can handle the rest. Youâd be giving them the last piece of the puzzle and all they would have to do is finish it.Â
âAlmost home, Peter. Just a few more hours, and Iâll be home.â
Crossing the streets, you pass by a thrift store you debated entering. Placing a hand in your pocket you realized that you canât even if you wanted to buy a sweater. You no longer have access to the money. Forget the ID you mostly cared about the money since itâs what was sustaining you.Â
Speaking of money, you feel just how empty your stomach is (youâre surprised how quiet it's been, or have you just tuned it out?). All the energy you had spent today and you hadnât had food since this morning. If you can call granola bars a sustainable breakfast. You feel like youâre running on fumes and your gas tank is on its last bar.
Great, youâre in an even bigger time crunch. Good thing you decided to sneak around. The bad thing is that the money you were going to use to sneak around is gone. Just your luck.
Rubbing your bare shoulders- not from the cold, just something to keep you grounded- watching patrolling police cars drive past you since crime never sleeps in Gotham. Doing your best to stay as hidden as possible, using the ever growing shadows as cover, back alleys as a guide, and bars to collect information.
From what you infer, Jacob was mostly on his own for his bar, with some sort of system to get clientele for his fighting ring. From what you observed, especially as spider-woman, most of the recruitment (more like heavy manipulation) were done by those in a high hierarchy.Â
You had targeted those people first when you kept sending anonymous tips. Yet the names, the names of so many people⌠thereâs no way those who you had snitched on were the only ones bringing in others.Â
 How Jacob kept getting an abundance of people in what you assume was a relatively short amount of time has truly baffled you. You highly doubt they had been operating for much since you know that Batman would have caught wind of kidnappings and/or missing teens/young adults sooner rather than later.
If not, then youâd have heavily overestimated Batman.Â
Keeping an ear out an ear out for any loose lips, eyes vigilant for any suspicious movement and posture appearing relaxed but ready for action should you need to move, you were ready for anything.
Your spider sense spiked- not rapidly, but it was gradually increasing. Letting the alleyâs shadow consume your frame, you watched a very familiar motorcycle drive zoom across the streets past you.Â
You did not like that. Youâre sure you managed to stay out of surveillance as much as possible, of course there are stores and/or buildings with working cameras, but there is no shot they could pinpoint your exact location with just that!Â
So why was Red Hood so close?!
You peeked in the direction he went when your spider sense called down. That direction⌠either heâs looking for you, or heâs going to a very specific location. And based on the speed, you assume it is the latter rather than the former.Â
If they narrowed down your possible location, Red Hood would probably use the alleys like how you accidentally ran into him earlier in the day. You hope whoever is on camera duty spills a drink on the keyboard.
Deciding to head in the direction Jason was heading, left the alley, keeping close to the sides of the building as much as possible to negate the fact that youâre out in the open.Â
A couple of blocks from the bar, a familiar sense pulls you. You feel it before you see it, the proper way your spider sense always behaves. You turned your attention to a girl, walking in your direction, headphones in both ears, distracted by her phone. That wasnât what your spider sense was warning you about. It was about the three men that were following behind her, blending with the night, and with obvious ill intentions.Â
It seems the ginger hasnât noticed sheâs being followed, and sheâs close to turning the corner.Â
You sprint, startling the girl as one of the men grab her. She screams, dropping her phone, cracked when landing on the concrete as you land a punch at the assailant. The manâs grip loosened as he fell and you pulled the ginger behind you, pushing her out of the way. âGet lost!â you hissed at her.Â
She didnât move, voice stuck, body frozen and frame trembling. Without looking behind you reached behind to grab her top and push her further back, out into the open. Letting her go, you rush back in the alley, kicking the guy down again, and weaving when another tries to swing. The last guy pulls out a switch blade, the other two follow suit. Fucking copycats.
Looking around to spot anything that would let you keep your distance. You will not be getting stabbed today!Â
One of the guys lunged, you sidestepped and tripped him. Watching him hit the ground you kicked the knife out of his hands, watching it slide outside the alleyway. Your spider sense warned of an attack behind you, the shadows on the ground gave away a horizontal swing. You get down on the floor and swipe his legs, causing him to lose his balance and hit his head hard on the ground and pass out. One man down, two to go.
The first guy who was bleeding from his nose raised his leg to stomp on you as you rolled away for distance, getting back up on your feet. Your back hit the wall as the one of them swung his fist, you slid down the wall and raised your leg and hit him in between the legs. He doubled down and you stood up, using his hunched figure and grabbed his head and smashed his face with your knee, knocking him out. Two down, one left.
Droplets of the guy's blood stain your face and use the back of your hand to wipe it away, walking away from the unconscious manâs body. You didnât want to trip on him. The last guy realized how quickly the situation turned, cussing you out as he gripped his knife in frustration.Â
Your eyes never left him. You could see the growing panic rise as his mind scrambles for what to do next. He felt like prey in front of a predator. But how could such a prey looking woman be a deadly predator?Â
None of this made any sense! It was supposed to be an easy job! Grab lone walking women, rob them, beat them, and if they are pretty enough, take them to have their way. Not whatever this is!
But all that was foiled by this one person. This weak looking woman.
He felt rage bubble up inside him, and he started seeing red.
You on the other hand felt differently.
You didnât feel intimidated at all. Not scared, and definitely not weak. All you could do was focus on this one insignificant man who decided to unfortunately cross your path. You couldnât see anyone else but him. Everything else was background noise, silent, and unimportant. Like nothing else exists but you and this weak man.
You could clearly see the manâs intentions, blinded by rage he would definitely be easier to fight. But what transpired here, it wasnât a fight. Well for the two who are currently out cold it was a fight. For the man in front of you, it was definitely a fight that he is losing. But for you, this was a one-sided beatdown that became nothing real quick.
You werenât anticipating a secret plan, or a powered boosted villain, or a super genius outlaw, or a blood-lusting alien. You were against average people. Not villains of the week, not super powerful god-like people, just your normal ass person who is rotten within.Â
You werenât tired, or worried. This was a baby fight- not even a fight, one that didnât require planning, strategizing, or even cautious actions. They are so easy to read and predict. Childsplay is what this was. And a huge waste of time.
The only good thing that came out of this was helping the girl they targeted got away and hopefully has already called the cops.
Now, all thatâs left is to knock this last person out, and report them to the authorities, and youâll be on your merry way once again.
And you know the guy in front of you feels this way too. You can tell that he understands that he wonât- canât win. Not against you. So he continues to do what his body instinctually does to survive, it chooses fight or flight- he charges. His body chose to fight.
Youâre ready for this. Youâll smash his head against the wall behind you and call it a day. You can clearly see how this all plays out.
And in that very moment, everything around you slows down when you feel a sharp tingle, and your spider sense begins to go haywire.
Someone strong is nearby, getting closer. Youâre being watched.
This moment of distraction kicked you out of the zone. Everything that was deemed as white noise suddenly became loud- became too much noise. You felt overstimulated with the sound of cars honking in the distance, police sirens making themselves known close by, the music from the bar a few streets down felt louder than they were.
Your body tensed up, rigid and became unfocused.
The knife almost grazed your neck- just barely- had you not moved back out of the way in a back flip. You swore you felt the cold metal touch skin, cold fingers checking in case you were correct. Nothing.Â
Only having a few seconds to re-calibrate, you run towards the guy, watching him pull his arm back and launch his knife. You swiftly side step and grab his shirt, pull him towards you, using your elbow to hit this man on the back of his neck letting him drop to the ground.Â
The prickly sensation of eyes on you never went away, and your spider sense was making so much noise that you started to hyperventilate.
You back away from the three men on the ground. From the corner of your eyes, two people were standing there, at the entrance of the alleyway. It was the same two people you only saw a glimpse of earlier.Â
âHey, are you okay?â The blonde one asked, taking a step forward while the other assessed the situation. âThat was amazing, you know? Itâs okay, youâre okay. You did good here.â
The ravenette kept her sharp gaze on your figure, and you swore you stopped breathing. The single step the one person took was enough to make you falter and step back.
Fucking spider luck.
-
Cassandra didnât really know how to feel about what transpired. She and Stephanie were technically undercover, going around casually overhearing rumors and plans. Youâd be surprised how often people talk out in the open when they think no one is listening.
They were assigned to watch out for potential strays that would get picked up by Jacob and his men, making it harder for more runaways or kidnappings to happen out in the open. It was how they also knew that those who were taken were deliberately orchestrated.
Everything was orchestrated, structured, detailed and planned.
And then everything accelerated in just a couple of days, then in a week, names were uncovered, those missing were discovered, now all thatâs left is to rescue those within reach and save those who were taken hostage.Â
All this happened in such an accelerated pace that what once was thought as coincidence or a lucky break quickly turned into interference. An outside component who had uncovered so much in such a short time- not that they couldnât be able to do it, it was someone from the inside who was breaking this operation down while they were on the outside trying to break in.
Whoever they were, had tremendously aided in their operation, the only issue is that they are unknown. And Batman doesnât like unknowns.Â
This whole operation had spiraled out of Batmanâs control, but it was still controlled, and thatâs something that has caught his attention. And soon it will catch his interest.
Cassandra can agree to an extent. Everything detailed from the concise, structured plan, but was still within the parameters, it just skipped a few steps. A sprint instead of a jog, similar but not the same.
Their objective today was to find out the location of the underground fights, the names of those involved, then from there the location of where they transport the missing and kidnaps, infiltrate and rescue before they catch on.Â
They were going to use Jon as one of the baits, and use Stephanie and her as loose ends. Jon fits as a gullible and naive teen while Steph and her are asking around for a missing friend, digging deep until Jacob and his crew have no choice but to interfere and take them.
Of course they only just got Jon here, a few days ago a big lead was caught and sent to Jim, names were thrown and things were rapidly escalating. Stephanie decided to still go on with the investigation, and now that they knew a couple of civilians were being targeted, they purposefully went to places they frequented to ask questions, enough to catch attention.
So, they too had to adapt to this anomaly.Â
Not knowing just how far Jacobâs power reached, they were going to make it his problem. The only issue now is, that since everything went off script, they were working on an extreme time crunch.Â
When they spotted the new face and apparently Jacobâs new obsession they decided to approach you.
Well that was the plan.
Cassandraâs eagle eye caught the rigid and tense posture you took just steps away from the entrance to one of Bruceâs financed shelters scattered throughout Gotham. Eyes roamed your body like a book. Noted how terrified you were, disguising it like control.Â
Her eyes couldnât help but want to stare. To dissect. Mostly to read what your body is honest about. But in that short glimpse she managed to see, your eyes seem to be the more honest one. It has managed to imprint itself into her mind, consuming her thoughts. Like a gravitational pull. Something that has never happened to her before, and that in itself is alarming as well as interesting.
What happened? Why did you stop? What made you turn back? These questions circled her mind. They hadnât even managed to get close to you to see just what had spooked you. The action you took was so abrupt that Stephanie pulled her hand in your direction as she called out to you.
Only for you to disappear when they rounded the corner. Barbara had lost you shortly thereafter. From what Cassandra could infer, you moved with purpose, decisions made with quick calculations and reflexes fine tuned as if it was another extension of your body.Â
With what little she managed to see from you, you had never let down your guard. Not for a single second. You move like you canât trust anything around you, like youâre alone, like youâre surviving instead of living.
You look like youâre going to break any minute now.
But that doesnât stop the blatant issue at hand. Youâre being targeted, and not casually, no, youâre actively a part of something big, something bad. Cassandra wants to know why.
Why is this case revolving around you? What about you has them paying attention? In retrospect, you are a civilian with too many variables. Too many unknowns. All eyes seem to be looking at you, they want a piece of you. What did you do to warrant this type of action, that is causing this type of reaction?
Cassandra looks at Stephanie, gauging her reaction as Barbaraâs voice rings in their ears.
âI lost her. Sheâs really good at using the back alleys. Iâll keep an eye out, I think itâs best you both begin to suit up. Iâll set the rendezvous point with Hood and Signal. Oracle out.â
Stephanie on the other hand was a tad bit frustrated. You had popped up, and disappeared in literal seconds from them noticing you. Well, more accurately it was Cassandra who noticed you, she only managed to catch a glimpse of your back.Â
Though she was able to memorize your fit before you completely bippity boppity booed yourself out of existence.Â
You looked hurried, like something was going to nip at your feet if you didnât move fast enough. Steph glanced towards Cassandra and she could tell that you were important. Important enough that you had both Jacob and them reaching for you.
After losing you, they had attempted to scour the area nearby, in case they could spot you, keep you but that completely failed after an hour of walking.
What followed not too long later was news of you being spotted by cctv at a terminal, buying a ticket out of Gotham. Stephanieâs stomach sank. If they lose you, they lose a big lead. Luckily you arenât that far from their location.Â
Both Cassandra and her book it, only to receive terrible news of you being led away. And when they got there, it was empty, the only lead is the direction you took when being taken. Things were not going well today.
It seems the closer they try to get to you, the further you scurry away. Itâs like the world doesnât want them to make contact with you.Â
Then only to find out that you made contact with Dick and Duke, only for them to also lose sight of you.
Life is just laughing at them at this point. Barbara was right, you are good and disappearing. Stephanie doesnât know if sheâs more impressed or upset that you keep giving them the slip.
âI guess we really just better suit up after looking around for a bit.â She suggested
Cassandra nodded, seemingly equally as troubled from the constant setbacks today has brought them.
Just as they entered a dark alley, Barbaraâs sharp tone tapped into their comms, and things were suddenly setting into motion. The plan has changed, not drastically but quickly.
And as if their luck had turned, you were spotted much closer than they thought. You had passed some bar almost a dozen blocks in front them. Being assigned to catch up, Cassandra and her quickly took off.
Stephanie hopes you donât disappear before they get there. Thatâs now your modus operandi, your m.o., and if you are gone before they get there, she is going to crash out- a very justifiable crash out.
Just as they made it to the bar, lo and behold, you are not there.Â
Cassandra feels Stephanie squeeze her hand in frustration. Though the moment is interrupted when a distressed and panic-stricken girl runs up to the bouncer outside the bar.
Stammering how she was almost jumped and that she was saved by another girl and is frantically telling them to call the cops, her phone being broken and missing. Stephanie and Cassandra looked at each other, eyes communicating. This could be it, itâs in the direction you were seen going from Barbara.
And as the planets aligned, there you were.
Two guys were out cold, knives scattered on the pavement, one man left, trembling and then there was you. Standing tall, confident even, but what caught Stephanie's attention, was your face.
Or better yet, the expression on your face. You are displaying something sharp, confident, but at the same time it was something impassive. You were completely locked in.Â
That impassive expression is what stole her breath away. You look strong.
That was until you froze, almost getting your neck sliced open before you dodged and flipped away.Â
Stephanie almost bolted in your aid but Cassandraâs grip on her hand pulled her back. Cassandraâs eyes never leave your body. They both watch you dodge a knife and bless her heart she felt herself almost bolt to your rescue again before the impenetrable wall of Cassandra Cain had kept her in place.
It seems Cassandra knew you would win without help, without their assistance. But you are a civilian, they should even let this situation be a possibility.
The manâs body hit the ground, knocked out, along with the other two, and there you stood. Just like Cassandra knew, trembling and out of breath.
Stephanie chalked it up to anxiousness and adrenaline wearing off. The look of unadulterated terror is displayed all over your face. So she stopped moving forward. Cassandra quietly beside her watched the trembles in your body like it was telling her a story. A language only she knows.
Thatâs what was causing your body to shake.Â
âYouâre okay now. Youâre safe.â Cassandraâs voice was calm, and soothing, but it only frightened you more.
âYea, these guys are down, you donât have to be scared anymore.â Stephanie waved you over, knowing if she moved youâd bolt like deer. âYou fought amazingly, took them down all by yourself!â
Was she trying to distract you? It wasnât working, youâre more terrified that they both are here. Why are they here? Itâs the evening and youâre sure they should be getting ready to suit up and stop Jacob from leaving! Why are these two here?!
âIs-â You try to control the dryness in your mouth, and regain your breathing. âIs the girl okay?â Your voice was soft but clear enough to be heard.
Stephanie perked up. âYes! Sheâs fine, you save her. Everythingâs fine now. Itâs okay.â
If you didnât know Stephanie Brown and just assumed she was just another person, youâd accept her presence. She has a way of making you feel safe. But you donât feel safe. Far from it. Stephanie Brown is an amazing woman, kind yes, but sheâs also smart. You donât know her mission.Â
All you have right now is fear. Especially because sheâs accompanied by Cassandra Cain.
You glance at the bodies before taking a shaking step forward, a cracked phone near the edge of the alley. You donât need to pretend youâre scare, you down right fucking terrified. Youâll play the hands you have been dealt with though, but you feel yourself about to combust from pure stress.
Cassandraâs vigilant eyes watch your movement carefully, and it really does not ease your mind one bit, but you know sheâs going along with Stephanie. So you will too. Stephanie gives you a smile, beckoning you in her direction. You donât know if Cassandra believes youâre a frightened civilian that Stephanie might think you are, but your real fear at this moment is what is helping you.
âShe called the cops, you know?â Stephanie outstretches her hand and you take it hesitantly. âTold us someone needed help.â
âItâs dangerous.â You whispered, standing in front of Stephanie but next to Cassandra, the former softly pulling you into the street light and away from the alley. âYou both could have been in danger too.â
Stephanie almost snickers. âYouâre right, but you were in trouble too. How did you learn to fight like that?â
Cassandra watched and Stephanie felt you freeze up. Your body was such a book to them. Looking at the grimy ground you let go of her hand, keeping them at your side balled into a fist. You debated what to tell, how to get out of this quickly without them tailing you. What information can you divulge that won't bite you in the ass later?
Stephanie waited patiently for your answer, while Cassandraâs eyes narrowed at your hesitance. âI um- from the streets.â you admit cautiously.
Stephnie tilted her head, filing away the information. âThe streets?â Cassandraâs eyes roam your figure, silent like a shadow.
âThat's all I ever knew.â You admit-carefully. âItâs all I am good for anyways.â Your eyes are focused on the ground, not glancing up to gauge their expression.
âDo you know them?â Cassandra spoke, almost startling you.
Looking back before looking at her you shook your head. Itâs the truth after all. âNo. Not at all.â You carefully point across the street. âI was walking over there when I saw what happened.â You didnât elaborate further than that, wrapping your arms around yourself to ease the trembling.
Youâre glad the evening cool air helps cool your head. You refuse to let them know what you know about them.
At this very moment your stomach decided to introduce itself and you wanted the ground to cave in and bury you alive.
âYouâre cold and hungry. Do you want to wait for the-?â Stephanie cut herself off when she saw you jump back as if hurt.
âIâll go. I donât want-â You took steps back, Cassandra took a step forward out of habit. âI donât want to be a part of this. I just- I just couldnât let someone get hurt.â
âYouâre safe. Here.âÂ
You looked Cassandra in the eyes, gauging for deceit, an attempt to read her. You failed obviously. You wonder what sheâs seeing in you at this very moment. âNo, Iâm not.â You spoke with vulnerability, you gripped your arms and glared at the floor. You donât want to be here damnit! âI canât stay. I really canât. I have to go.â Stepping further back to create distance.
âAre you,â Stephanie didnât want to push but she really had no choice. She needs to buy time, as much time as possible for Duke to come. Heâs near, heâll be here in fifteen, so she really needs to keep you here. âIn some sort of trouble?â
She watched as your expression morphed into panic, your grip tightening, nails leaving indents on your bare arms. Stephanieâs eyes were stuck on your face, now that sheâs really looking at it. You have a lovely appearance now thatâs focusing. Despite your tired eyes, and the eyebags that you carry, youâre pretty- like really pretty. The shape of your eyes complement your face shape, and your lips look really soft despite how chapped they are. You really do look like youâre just surviving rather than living.
Cassandra mostly focuses on your body, reading clearly how anxious and cautious youâre being. Every answer you have given, ever movement you have made, and every expression you have shown, she has been reading them all. When she had settled on your face, she couldnât help but notice just how raw your eyes are. They tell much more and hide more than your body shows. You look haunted, exhausted, and above all, desperate. You look absolutely desperate. Youâre running from something, or rather from someone- based on all the information Barbara has given them.
She thinks back on how they got to this situation. Were they lucky? Possibly, Barbara had narrowed down a radius, they were both on their way to suit up actually. Meet up with Duke first, suit up and then slip up in different directions. So it was really lucky that on their way to the meet up location, a brunette ran up past them to the bouncer at the club a few blocks down about a girl who saved her. How sheâs in trouble and it was just her against three men who tried to hurt her.Â
They were pretty lucky to have run into you. To be honest she was impressed by how well you handled yourself. Cassandra knew that Stephanie and her would have joined you, creating a distraction in order to save you, but you didnât need any saving. You held on well.
Now in Stephanieâs case, she was very much impressed with you. Itâs not everyday that a civilian can hold their ground. Cassandra on the other hand, she was more cautious. Yes you did fight like an experienced person, but you fought a little too well for a civilian. Your answers confirmed what Barbara told them earlier. You were-- are part of the underground fighting, which does explain your ability to kick ass. The issue Cassandra has though, is the look in your eyes, your body language when you fought those three men.
You didnât struggle, and fighting more than one person, experience or not causes apprehension, planning, and caution. You didnât express any from what she has been able to see. You didnât even look like you struggled at the start. Though you did falter, which almost caused your next to bear the damage but you dodged. You didnât hesitate after that, didnât even look scared of a knife being pointed at you. Itâs like youâve dealt with that before. But from her knowledge the underground fighting rings normally donât include weapons. Itâs mostly fists.Â
âI um, from the streets.â Was your answer. Thereâs nothing on you, no medical records, no passport, no birth certificate, nothing. Like you didnât exist. A ghost. Your whole existence is a mystery. And thatâs not a good thing, especially not in Gotham. She wants to uncover you completely, see what youâre actually about. But that look on your face. That exhausted look in your eyes that you wear is what catches her attention. You look like youâre going to break. Maybe thatâs why she is cautious but at the same time interested in you.Â
âI am.â Your voice brings Cassandra back from her thoughts.
Sirens echo in the distance, getting louder as the seconds tic by. Cassandraâs eyes never left yours, and Stephanie focused on your face.
âWhat kind of trouble?â
-
Richard âDickâ Grayson had just handed the teen off to a trusted police officer and watched him get hauled away.
The inside of his jacket pocket feels heavy. Making his way over to his car, the take out he picked up lays forgotten inside the front seat as he pulls out the envelope that had fallen when the girl he had scuffed twisted out of her sweatshirt, the movement causing it to fall.
He had picked up the envelope and pocketed the phone in the kidâs hand before Signal caught up to him. No girl, he remembers Dukeâs expression. Through the helmet, he could tell the kid was exacerbated, brows furrowed, exposed lips tightened. Does this civilian mean something to him?Â
He asked for her location, Dick glanced at where he saw her go. Duke went to chase, asking Barbara for visuals.
Off he went. On his walk back to his car, he debates suiting up and hitting the streets immediately or report to Bruce first. The phone he pocketed rings, so he picks up.
âRicardo.â The unmistakable voice of a man speaks. âWhere is Nada.â He demanded.
Before Dick could get a word in, the call ended. He debated returning the call, he wanted to inform Bruce, whatever is going on seems to be bigger than he believed.Â
The phone rang and rang but the man never picked up. Seems he was blocked right after the call ended. Great.
Pulling out the envelope, eyeing the contents. Money, and a passport. Dick will admit it, this passport is extremely well made, feels real too. Heâs dealt with this type of trickery back in BlĂźdhaven, and heâs had pride in identifying these fakes easily.Â
The question is, who gave you this? He can infer that you were given this, since it was basically wrapped neatly inside the envelope like a present, all that it was missing was a bow. He can also deduct that you were given this to leave Gotham, maybe even the state, just the final destination is a mystery. Now on the topic of who exactly gave you this, he recalls the events earlier.
âRicardo, can you drive?â Agitation in the tone. âEven if youâre late, get Nada to the location. Go.â
Nada⌠God, itâs not even her real name. Dick is curious, really curious.
He thinks back to his encounter with you. He found it kinda strange that you were the only one to not look at him, not even curious to see who called out to you three. The only reason he and you even caught a glimpse of each other was simply because you and him were facing each other during the whole situation.Â
He recalls how you stiffened when accidentally making eye contact, you looked- whatâs the word- petrified? Not really. Baffled? No. Aghast? Maybe? What is it? Itâs the type of look you give when the situation has gone off the rails and become worse.Â
Dick decided then and there that he in fact, did not like that look on your face. Expression aside, the look of complete and utter exhaustion also painted her face. Heâs seen that look, heâs seen it often. Bruce has that look as well. Hell, even he had that look at one point. You just donât look well, and not in a sick way, more like, you would absolutely fucking crack into pieces. A haunted look.Â
Dick clicks his tongue. He really doesnât like that look. You look underfed, not malnourished per se, but it's obvious that you arenât exactly getting three full meals a day. Even with that sweatshirt that concealed your frame, he could still tell. Out of place, thatâs how you looked.
Oh, helpless. The word heâs looking for is helpless. So out of place- at least thatâs how it seemed to him. Something about you just doesnât seem to click with your surroundings.Â
How can Dick put this into words someone could understand? Oh! Itâs like you're the right puzzle shape but not the right image to finish the puzzle. Right shape, wrong image. Yea, thatâs it.
You were-are scared when you looked at him. Why? Have you seen him before? Did he do something to you in the past? Did you see him do something that terrified you?Â
Dick is trying hard to recall any past actions that would cause that specific reaction from you. Heâs sure he hasnât seen you before. He would remember. A face like yours? Heâs sure he would definitely click a memory should there be one. Despite him seeing pretty faces before, Dick is very certain that yours isnât in his recollection. He is no stranger to beautiful people, attractive faces, but yours- for some reason, has been stuck in his mind ever since he laid eyes on you.
Dick knows that he would not be able to forget you now that heâs seen you. Should he see you in the crowd now, he is sure that he would be able to spot you. His eyes would naturally gravitate towards you. You're like an enigma, something about you is captivating and he wants to find out why.
Even with a quick glance at you, Dick came to some conjectures. You have nothing- this envelope was all that you seem to own. You donât even have a backpack, so could you be a recent runaway? Probably not, but not completely crossed out. Homeless? Heâs leaning more towards that. Despite your exhausted frame and messy hair, you do look like you have a place to freshen up. Have you been in some shelters that Bruce sponsors? You look relatively clean, so Dick deduces that you arenât in the worst situation of homelessness, but he canât get rid of this nagging feeling that you arenât here of your own free will.
You certainly seem important enough to be treated as a package.Â
From what Dick can recall, you looked exacerbated when the guy next to you was struck. It seemed (from his point of view) that you became compliant as a result of what occurred. Seems like youâre not exactly a willing participant.
Dick debates whether he is going to suit up and join the search with Duke in looking for you, or report to the Batcave and inform Bruce what just happened.Â
When he canât get the image of your stilled figure out of his head, he makes up his mind to suit up and search.
Pocketing everything again, he decided to call his best option, Barbara.
âHey Babs, you wonât believe what just happened to me just now.â
Babs fills him in and his heart drops and his demeanor changes. He had just let go of a lead. An important one at that. So there was a reason you looked so absolutely terrified. Youâre being hunted like prey, not given a single moment of peace. Your face resurfaces in his mind, the way youâre exhausted and fatigue, like you havenât rested for some time now. Just how long have you been this way? How could he have let you slip through his fingers.
 She tells him to go to the cave and he disagrees.Â
âDick! I donât have time for this, I need you here! Things are getting out of control and I could really use your help right now.â
The sharpness in Barbaraâs voice does it for Dick. He turns on the car and drives, the food cold in the passenger seat.
âFake ID, do you think you can figure out where it was made?â
âYea. Just-â Barbara takes a deep breath, calming down. âDukeâs compromised, but Steph and Cass are nearby. Jason sent me very worrying information. Tim just left me a folder from our friendly neighbor and I could really use a second pair of eyes before I send you to Tim.âÂ
Barely turning the corner on a yellow light Dick grips the steering wheel at the stressed tone of Barbara. âWhereâs Damian?â
âWith Bruce. They caught one of Jacobâs major players, the mercenary, you and Duke took out another, and Jason finished the third. Everything spiraled out of control so quickly. Theyâre leaving tonight and Nada is who they desperately want right now. As long as Duke or the girls are on her tail, they wonât get her.â
âGot it. Iâm almost there, give me fifteen.â
âThank you Dick.â Keyboard taps could be heard through the line. âAnd Iâm sorry for snapping.â
Dick shook his head as if Barbara could see him. âDonât worry about it. I get it.â
The tapping stopped. âOh.â
Dick tenses, almost running a red light. âWhatâs going on Babs?â
âThe docks. Theyâre leaving by the docks. Forget about me and just go, Iâll send you the locations.â Barbara resumed typing away. âIâll inform the others, hurry.â
Dick turns the car around and his tires cry as he speeds off. âOn it.â
-
Sitting inside a cop car is not in your bingo card. Sure you have been inside a few times, but those were mostly before your time as Spider-woman. This time, you really didnât have a choice. Though you would admit, it took everything in you to not put up a fight. You never really got along with police officers and- and Peter didnât count.
You heard that correctly. Your Peter Parker, was a police officer. You disliked the cops before, but when Peter told you his profession, it was understandable a mind shattering experience for you.
But he made it work. Peter always makes it work. Until he was no more. You were always distrustful of cops. Peter made them tolerable (not really), but your feelings never went away. And now here you are inside of a cop car getting driven away.
No handcuffs despite your spider-sense buzzing inside you, but there's a reason for that. Youâre not under arrest, even if you had beaten three men and left them unconscious in an alley.
You sat quietly, eyes trained in front of you, wary, watching landmarks and reading street signs.
Because- the reason you are in this situation is because the police officer here is not taking you to the station like she proposed in front of Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. No, this officer is taking you to where youâre going to be delivered to Jacob Sullivan Jones.
It seems like Jacobâs package is finally getting delivered. You repeat the same phrase that started this whole situation. âIf theyâre leaving tonight, then they need me tonight.â. This is it, everything hinders on the fact that you successfully get Jacob caught and arrested.Â
You canât afford any delays or setbacks. With this, youâll finally be free to set up your beacon and go home. You can almost taste it. You canât slip up. No more. You donât know where youâre going, you just know itâs where Jacob wants you to be.Â
Whatever he brings out, youâll be ready.
The A.C. blasts cool air despite the already chilly temperature outside, and your spider sense tingles sharply. Oh.
The air had begun to emit a smell, barely noticeable but there. Youâre getting put to sleep.
It seems theyâre really desperate to avoid any unforeseen inconvenience. They probably assume youâd bolt when an opportunity arises. And you honestly canât even blame that assumption.
You already had a track record, and all of it was just today alone.
âJacob is expecting you in pristine condition, hope you donât mind me taking extra precaution.â Her voice sounded so motherly as it echoed and your eyes began to droop, turning you sluggish. âWeâll be there soon, rest Nada.â
Damn that shit was strong, what the fuck did they put in that? Your spider sense echoed inside your mind and everything around you turned black.
You open your eyes to see stars shining brightly in the sky, and a couple of them pass by every few seconds. They were shooting stars.
âI see you woke up.â the soothing voice caught your attention and you froze up. Turning your head, you realize you were laying down on a thin blanket, the person at your side was also laying down, but he was looking at you. And you felt yourself choke up. âI was thinking of letting you sleep, but you were going to miss it.â
Eyes watered and you noticed a warm feeling in your hand, letting out a choked whisper. âPeter?â He was holding your hand.Â
Your eyes watched his face light up, a warm smile with dimples, his cheeks flushed, and his hair a bit messy as his eyes were squarely trained on you, he squeezed your hand that was intertwined with his. âHappy Birthday Spider-Woman, or should I say -â
Your name left his lips, you could feel the warmth in his tone, his face, and his feelings.
Peter.
Prev; Next;
Lol, happy mother's day. Steph and Cass were not supposed to be this soon but oh well. Damian, Jon, and Tim will get more screen time, probably next chapter but who fucking knows. My timeline is fucking screwed as it is. ANYWAYS, no one talked about Miguel last chapter and I'm sad haha.
Kon-El is possibly going to be added but I don't know much about him (only interpretation I know is Young Justice). Regardless, if you see any inconsistencies, no you don't. I bit off more than I can chew and i'm fucking choking.
((Anyone know about a fanfic here on tumblr about the batfam x reader? It was a soulmates where mc dropped into the dc world and she met dick as nightwing first and he is one of her soul mates. I swore I saved it on my phone but I canât find itâ sos đ))
I need the fucking ages of these characters-- all i know is that Dick is younger than Babs, Tim and Duke are the same age, Steph and Cass are a year older than Tim, Kon is two years older than tim, and Jon is a year younger than Damian. Am I wrong?
Web Bound Secret Corner!
Spider-Woman's world is different from the other spider-lings.
Spider-Woman's is technically malnourished and sleep deprived, she does her necessities at the centers in case anyone was wondering (showering, brushing teeth, etc).
Spider-Woman's Peter was in fact a detective.
Spider-Woman was adopted by May and Ben when they found her in the streets.
Spider-Woman has graduated at age 20 in mechanical engineering.
Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 7 - Hunt
Everyone knows that Jason and Bruce have their differences, and honestly, no one can really blame Jason for not being his usual- er, past self. He was a street kid, living- surviving off of scraps, steeling, getting caught by Batman, sent away from Batman, then rescued again by Batman, taken in, trained as RobinTM, fighting crime (albeit with excess force), finds out his biological mother is alive, finds her and only to get betrayed by her, gets beaten up by Jokerâ˘, and then blown up by Jokerâs bomb. The next thing he knows, he wakes up in a coffin, breaks out, gets taken by Taliaâ˘, and then gets ârevivedâ via the Lazarus Pitâ˘, and his path of (av)revenge. The point is, heâs changed.
The whole thing after beating the Joker and the âsomewhatâ reconciliation with Bruce, he still cares for Dick, his âreplacementâ Time, and even the demon spawn Damien. He cares for Cassandra, Barbara, and Stephanie. Hell, he cares for Duke who is the newest addition to their broken family. He cares for Bruce, despite everything he doesnât want to lose this family. Heâs changed but he is still the same as well.
Which is why, anything that can potentially mess with his family, he will set aside his differences (the ones that are left) and play a part to keep his family (regardless of how broken or messed up they are) safe, keep his anchor whole.
So when news of runaways, abducted, and even street kids are going missing, he didnât hesitate to join forces with Bruce and the rest of the gang⢠to put a stop to this. No matter how long it took to find a pattern, he canât help but picture his past self, when Batman first caught him stealing, sent him away, only to be trained to steal and then saved again by him, he pictures vulnerable teens who are scared, who had no choice, who were forced- and there is never a day that goes by that he isnât thankful to Batman- to Bruce, despite everything.Â
Heâs channeled his anger and vengeance for something good, like he used to do with Bruce. He doesnât kill, no not anymore- doesnât mean he won't, not unless absolutely necessary.
But its people like Jacob, that really tip-toe the line that he wonât hesitate to cross but is restraining himself from pulling a bullet through Jacobâs skull.
Jasonâs seen his fair share of corruption, of violence, of gore and the absolute worst of humanity- hell, he even became a monster- but never stayed a monster. Jacob isnât the sickest of them, but heâs right up there for being vile, and apathetic to the misfortunes of these kids.
Jason wonders, if putting a bullet in all of these criminals, will it really reduce the crime rate? Or will these monsters just get quicker, get smarter, creative and get away with their sick twisted crimes? Are they really making a difference, or are they perpetrating more people to commit crimes? Will this cycle ever end?Â
Jason wants to believe so. It just takes time, blood, and sweat.
When he first entered the bar, he quickly made his way around the premises, checked every nook and cranny of the building, memorised the layout to a T. His only contact was a worker, a bouncer who attacked, but no Jacob insight.Â
The rat had somehow gotten away. Once he knocked out the bouncer, and secured him (and possibly gave him a concussion), he radioed Oracle.
âAnything yet?â He questioned.
âTimâs with B, apparently they got a list, waiting for confirmation.â He heard her sigh, stress evident in her tone. âDad got a call from them, no recording.â
Jason kept quiet, just listening. Once he made sure the bouncer wouldnât (somehow) escape, he made his way back towards the employees office. His boots made no noise, as he stealthily reached for the knob.
Opening the door, the air stilled and his eyes narrowed, ears sharp, body still, one foot inside the room, hand still on the door while the other reached for his gunâ˘. His pupils took in his surroundings, before he fully stepped inside.Â
His steps are slow and deliberate, eyes still roaming the room, making sure nothing catches him by surprise. He had half a mind to open his mouth, but decided against it.
Cabinets opened, nothing taken out. His eyes turned to a corner. Files seem to be in place, unmoved. Yet to Jasonâs trained eye, he noticed a couple of papers sticking out. Slowly making his way behind the desk, he placed his gun back in its holster. Laptop opened. Someone was in here. This was closed when I got here. Someone was in here while I was out there. Behind the hidden door.
His eyes roamed the open computer, noticing an open group chat. His eyes widened, soaking all the information displayed on the screen. In front of him, was a picture of a face, a very familiar face. His eyes zoned in on the pixels, studying, committing everything to memory, his eyes landed on the message. Name: Nada, age: young adult. Comments: Street rat with skills in fighting, quick on her feet, and highly adaptable. No ties, alone. Needs to be trained. Retrieval pending. Last seen; homeless shelter by the main road, visits various shelters in the area, never stays in one place for long.
Jason quickly places a special flash drive, waiting for it to connect to the Batcaveâs computer. âSheâs a target.â He recalls his earlier encounter just hours ago, how she didnât know why she was being chased. He remembers her tensed body, stressed composure and fast thinking. He has to go and find her, sheâs in danger.Â
His mind also reminds him of her eyes, not of her eye color, but of the desperate look she had. She looked tired, lost, exhausted and on the brink of collapse. They say that âthe eyes are the window to the soulâ and he couldnât agree more. His trained eyes could see that sheâs holding it together, but just barely, but sheâs strong and sheâs also scared, and now that sheâs involved in this whole trafficking situation, he wonders if she knows just how deep her involvement goes. She now has a target on her back, but he promised to protect her. He promises now that they wonât lay a finger on her, and then, she just might breathe easy.Â
Maybe she wonât have to look behind her in paranoia, her shoulders won't have to sag, her lips wonât tremble in worry, and her eyes wonât have to dart around for security. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to see her smile, shoulders relaxed, and her eyes would shine with security.
Security he knows he can provide once he catches that rat bastard.
Just as the screen flashed âConnectedâ Jason saw movement from the corner of his eye. Snapping his head to the side, his eyes narrowed. There was nothing there.
Could it have been paranoia on his end? Probably, god knows that he was never the same after reviving. Jason focused his eyes, seeing nothing but a gray blue wall and cabinets opened, just as it was when he entered the second time.
With the laptop already connected to the Bat computerâ˘, he took a cautious step forward, his eyes narrowed. If his mind was playing tricks on him, then he can say he has officially lost it. He swears he can feel someone in this room with him. And if he concentrates hard enough, his brain is trying to convince him that there is a faint outline of a person standing just arms length from him.
His phone vibrated, catching his attention. A message from Barbara. Unlocking his phone, he scrolled down until his thumb slammed on the screen, stopping mid scroll, stepping back into place in front of the laptop.
In the third picture, he clocked it and zoomed in.
His breath hitches.
A blurry picture, black medical mask, eyes away from the shot, taken without her knowing? Focused at someone in front of her but out of the photo frame.
âNada.âÂ
Another âding!â from the laptop. A new message.
âNo family, no friends, no ties, not even a missing poster, no one will be searching. Once secured, we depart. Currently searching.â
In the distance, a window shut quietly with a soft âclickâ went unheard.
-
Making it to the railing just as your camouflage state began to fade, your breath became sharp and uneven, throat closing up on you. With shaken steps you fell to your knees, reaching for your bag and opening it. Fingers trembling, making it difficult to even unzip the damn bag!Â
Your mind kept racing to everything you found. It wasnât even the fact that they were currently searching for you, it was the fact that this situation was way bigger and disastrous than you thought.Â
Your plan was simple. Just get Jacob and co. incarcerated while avoiding Batman and co. and then youâll solely focus on finding a better power source for your watch in order to get home. You don't even want to mess with The Spot anymore, you just want to get home, your home, even if itâs empty, bare, and cold.
You donât even have any memorabilia with you, to remember those you love and lost. Itâs driving you insane! It feels like youâre slowly forgetting the faces of uncle Ben, aunt May, and even Peter Parker.
Yanking the mask off, clutching the fabric tightly, you took deep gulps of air, enough for you to focus on your five senses. The heavy smell of the city's natural pollution, the rusty paint getting chipped off the emergency stair railing, the sharp almost iron taste every time you swallow, the worn out look of your backpack, and the constant buz of car horns in the distance is what you focus on. Ragged breath slowly coming down to an even tone, blurry vision turning clear, beating heart slowing down to an even tempo after a while of sitting there. You clutch the bag in your hands with an iron grip.
God you miss them. You miss Uncle Benâs wisdom, Aunt Mayâs warmth, and Peterâs love. Fuck. You just want to go back. But you know you canât. Not now, not yet. Not after all this is seen through. You canât, no, itâs not âcanâtâ itâs the fact that you wonât leave this mess unresolved. You will make sure Jacob and his associates here get arrested, and the kids get rescued, only then can you finally turn your back and go home.
After calming down, you shuffle around your bag, eye focusing on your civilian clothes. Since the previous plan is currently rotting at the bottom of a sewer, you'll just have to adapt. Youâre good at that, thatâs all you have ever been good at. Adapting and overcoming.Â
New plan, youâre going to find exactly where these missing kids are being taken to, and hopefully, ideally, rescue them. You canât abandon them, not when you know itâs this deep, this serious. Your conscience wouldnât let you walk away. Besides, itâs not your way of doing things either, not your spidey way. It seems Gotham still needs all the help it can get, even if itâs from an outsider dropping in.
Also, just to interject, fuck whoever keeps messing with your plans. Nothing has ever really gone your way but still, living in Gotham (not that youâre exactly living in Gotham as a choice) sucks balls. You miss New York, your New York CityâŚ
Grabbing your bag and climbing to the roof of the building, you change out of your suit and into your civilian clothes (youâre not risking getting exposed as a hero), making sure you havenât flashed anyone in case someone is taking a smoke break on another roof or something. Youâre also not leaving your bag in a random building either because with your shit (spider) luck, youâll probably get robbed too, so going back to the junkyard is key.
Who knows how long this will take, but you know you only have a couple of hours. You plan to get caught tonight. So, you might as well set up your escape. After that, a nice, long shower sounds heavenly.Â
Taking a glance at the quiet bar, your mind drowns you.
You met Red Hood this time. Not Jason Todd, the stranger in an alleyway who was a great meat shield, but his alter ego, the one who fights to protect, and shoots to defend. Arguably one of the bat family members you least want to fight. The one you least want to encounter (much less fight) is Batman himself.
Why Jason Todd was in the bar was obvious the second you encountered him. You were thankful that your camouflage worked when that door opened, honestly, youâre surprised your stress levels didnât accidentally cancel your ability like it does with your webs.
Recalling the sheer panic you felt when you noticed him walk in, eyes surveying his surroundings, taking note of anything that might have been misplaced and you swore your heart dropped when he made his way towards you, behind the desk. You had to back up almost against the cabinets, eyes trained specifically on him and his body movements.
When he spoke, you knew you had to get out of there. So you slowly inched yourself closer to the opened door (you wouldnât know what to do if he had closed the door), and as if by senses he turned his head in your direction the second you took a big step away. You wanted to cry. But by some god given miracle, he got distracted and you booked it away, heart too loud, youâre sure even he could hear it.
Youâre sure that you are now on Red Hoodâs radar and you donât want to run into him as either spider-woman or as a civilian.Â
Swinging back towards the junkyard, you drop your bag and place everything but the envelope inside, and web it to your beacon.Â
After cocooning it, you place it in a corner on the ceiling, using the shadows to camouflage it. Youâre making sure everything is set and ready for a quick getaway once youâre done. You canât afford to make any mistakes, and you canât stay here any longer. You feel yourself spiraling and every day a bit of hope inside you dies.
If you donât succeed this time, you donât think youâll manage another day, another attempt. This is your one and only shot, because if you fail, youâre guaranteed to get caught by Batmanâ˘, and you know you wonât be able to escape ever again. It either ends with you going home, or yourself.
Miguel will understand, heâll get it. And if not, then thatâs too fucking bad. You did everything you could, and if youâre stuck here indefinitely, then youâd rather go on your own terms then let life keep fucking with you. You tried, you know you did, Miguel sure knows you did, but you really canât take it anymore should you fail in getting back home again.Â
You wonder if youâll somehow see Peter in the afterlife despite being stranded in another dimensionâŚ
Regardless, once you save the kids, and get Jacob arrested youâre booking it here, grabbing your final version of your beacon and heading straight to the East End.Â
Youâre going to suck up all the energy on an electric company building you found. Just to give the final power boost your watch needs to be fully functional. Just enough juice to open a portal and get the fuck out of dodge.
Because bumping into Jason twice just confirmed things. Batman is onto Jacob and therefore you as well. And-- now you are no longer a nobody, not anymore. You just became a âsomebodyâ, a target for him and his wards. Youâre undeniably, unequivocally fucked beyond belief. The Narrows aren't safe for you anymore- you have to skedaddle.Â
You just want out of this fucking universe.
-
The sound of the keys going âClick Clackâ echoed throughout the batcave, the screen the only source of illumination seeping through the darkness of the underground.
Barbara had been dutifully scanning faces throughout the Narrows in search of a very suspiciously recurring civilian. Tabs open to clips on loop of said civilian entering, exiting, walking, and disappearing into dark alleyways. A female, taller than Tim but a tad bit shorter than Jason. If she had to guess, âNadaâ as sheâs being referred to, is somewhere in between Dukeâs height to Dickâs height. Eyes sharp, guarded, cold- no not cold- cautious, sheâs very cautious.Â
Despite the grainy videos sheâs managed to clip, she canât help but be somewhat entranced, committing what she can to memory. Any other form of information she memorizes is from the shared screen of the laptop where Jason is located.
âGot any updates Oracle?â Timâs voice connected to her comms.
âI repeat again, despite the obvious fact that thereâs a severe lack of surveillance cameras in the Narrows, no, the last I was able to find of âNadaâ is her going into the library about two hours ago, and left around twenty minutes later. Iâm still searching. Though weâre on a timer.â
âWhyâs that?â
âJason connected me to the Bar, sheâs being hunted. I donât know whoâs on her tail, but she is being located as we speak. Once sheâs picked-up, theyâre going to disappear tonight at the latest.â She stressed as a new pop-up clip appeared on her screen. âSignal, your target has been spotted, black sweater, no design, baggy dark blue jeans, hoodie up. Heâs ten minutes away from you. Sending coordinates.â
ââPpreciate it Oracle.âÂ
âRed Robin, ETA?â She was starting to get antsy.
âTwenty. Why?â
âI have a report of very suspicious activities down at the shore. Not Marina.â She informed.
âGot it. Iâll head out to check once I drop this off.â
âBatman, Red Hood captured one of the bouncers but Jacob is currently MIA. Robin and Superboy detained the mercenary and a civilian is confirmed to be a âpackageâ. Currently searching. How are things on your end?â
âSebastian is dead.â Her blood ran cold. What? âInvestiaging.â And that was it.
What a bombshell. It seems that there are rats hiding in the police force- again. âshould I look into it?â She offered.
âNo, focus on your mission.â Well alright then. Doesnât mean she isnât still going to do it.
Then silence once again overtook the cave. Ever since the arrest of Sebastian, everything seems to have been spiraling and soon it will be out of control. After this, she wants a fucking break, maybe entertain Steph and go on a shopping spree, or relax and watch Cass practice her moves, or even just go back to the library. Sheâs been stuck in this cave⢠helping Bruce locate the disturbance that appeared not too long ago and this case that seems to be bigger than they had imagined.
Lifting her arms up and stretching her sore body until she heard satisfying cracks, she fixed her glasses and once again resumed the search for their civilian friend. Time was of the essence after all.
Then another pop-up window with a clip appeared on her screen, overshadowing everything. Her eyes widened and she quickly connected herself to the comms. âFound her! Spotted a block away from the sanctuary. Gray sweatshirt, sweatpants, black mask, turning the corner. Sending coordinates.â
A cherry voice responded. âRoger that!â
-
They say walking is a helpful way to calm the mind, and honestly, youâd agree if you werenât currently on a mission to get yourself kidnapped. Not only that but you also had to make it fucking believable that this is against your will, and that youâre scared. Not too tall of an order but you really have to sell it because the LAST thing you want is for the bats to take an interest in you.
You really canât take any more setbacks.
Turning the corner, you spot a shelter with quite the people crowding around. This was planned of course. Taking a deep breath you make your way towards the shelter, making sure not to bump into any gothamites due to rush hour.Â
Weaving around people you get about fifteen feet from the entrance before you stop dead in your tracks. The hair on your body stood tall and your body went into a cold sweat as your spider sense started to buzz before becoming something akin to static noise, loud and constant, just like your anxiety and you felt your mental state depleting by the second. Youâd like to believe your body noticed before your senses did. But at this point, who fucking cares.
Your sudden halt caused some people to bump into you, cursing you as they moved around and entered the shelter. Though that didnât bother you anymore since your attention had been snatched.
The soft tingling feeling turned into a buzz as it spread throughout your body, like thousands of spiders crawling all over your body. This feeling was more than enough of a warning. Like static shock. Cold sweat consumed your very being, body frozen on the pavement, an unbearable weight burdened you, crushing you, shackling you to an even deeper ocean of hopelessness and despair. Choking you, filling up your lungs, suffocating, drowning, clawing-- you just want to breathe damnit! just enough to get homeâŚÂ
You felt like throwing up and then throwing yourself off a bridge- in that order. Youâre tired, you havenât slept well since you got here, havenât had a decent and nutritious meal, youâre stressed, youâre sleepy, youâre hungry, and you just. Want. to go. Home. You desperately want to give up, you do-- but you canât. Not yet. Not until you finish this. Not until you save those kids first, then try one last time.Â
Youâre involved, and in way too deep to leave it to someone else, to leave it to the bats and birds.Â
Finding your resolve, you snap back into reality. No matter just how fragile yours has become. It was time to focus and devise a plan of escape. You canât afford to get spotted here. Not by them. Not now, not ever.Â
Biting your lip you quickly made haste to book the fuck out of there. There was no shot you were going to trap yourself inside when danger is lurking here in this sanctuary.
Nah-uh, no way, definitely not. You werenât ready for that. You were fucking cooked because from your pariferal vision, you spotted two very familiar girls despite being surrounding with people with the same hair color or features. You were clearly, undeniably, unequivocally, definitely, obviously, unquestionably, plainly, and utterly fucked.
Why were they there, in that specific shelter? You had the unfortunate pleasure of coming to a conclusion you were almost 100% fucking certain.
They were here for you.
And you pray to any and every god in this universe and yours regardless of feelings and stands, that you were wrong and that they in fact were not here because of you.
So you did a 180 and fucking dipped, but did your very fucking best to not make it noticeable how freaked the fuck out you are. Speed walking away and blending into the sea of gothamites for your grand escape.
You donât know whether to attribute this to your body or spider senses but the sharp prickling feeling caused the hair on your neck to stand and you knew, you fucking knew- you were spotted. Spotted by Cassandra Cain⢠and Stephanie Brownâ˘.
âHey you! Wait- Wait up!â
Yea. Fuck no you were not going to wait. Bye! Just act like you never heard them. Easy. Merging with civiliansâ rush hour you did everything to break line of sight before speed walking and turning a corner. Then, when the sharp feeling of being watched snapped into a buzz you fucking booked it down alleyways, avoiding cameras as much as you can while looking back every so often to make sure youâre in the clear.
You doubt the girls would start jumping roofs and climbing walls in their civilian clothes but honestly, with a fucking trained assassin looking for you, you wouldnât put it past them. Besides, this is Gotham- everything (and anything) happens in Gotham.
A rising sense of dread started to creep inside you, clogging your throat as your spider sense buzzed into a low hum.
Catching your breath, and calming (but failing) your nerves, you start walking in another direction, opposite from where you came from. Then the âwhat-ifsâ started to pop up in your mind, consuming your thoughts.
âWhat if Jacob doesnât find you? What if he gets away, what about the kids? What if you get caught by Batman? What if you canât do this? What if Miguel canât locate you? What if everything you are doing is a waste of time? What if--â
A migraine started to form, making itself comfortable on your frontal lobe, throbbing, causing you to stress the fuck out and the urge to break down seems to be inevitable at this point.
But you had to focus, you needed to focus, because you have to get caught by Jacob, no matter what.Â
So you kept walking, with no destination, you just moved until you would find someone familiar. Chris, Jacob, or even one of the bouncers-- anyone at this point. The stress is consuming you alive, and youâre cracking, coming apart at the seams, hanging by a thread, honestly, youâre more surprised youâre keeping it just barely together.
That and the fact that you managed to grab the back of a teenâs hoodie in time before they walked right into oncoming traffic. The bus honked as they drove by while the boy almost dropped his phone.
âWhoa!â He turned to his savior as you let go and stared in the direction where the bus went, and a thought crossed your mind. Maybe, if I play my cards rightâŚ
Waving off the boy's gratitude with a smile underneath your mask, you turned to him, as he blatantly stared at your face (or what he can see). âWhere can I buy my way outta town, kid?â
And with that âminorâ existential crisis, you decided on how to get caught.
âOh- um, I can take you there if youâd like?â
Politely declining the offer the teen begrudgingly gave you general directions and you happily fucked off. Finding them was already not looking so hot, especially locking down a very specific hunter, so, if youâre going to be hunted (with a tight deadline), then you might as well make this easier on yourself and have them come to you. Regardless of who gets to you first, you will go with Jacob and his men.Â
The only way that plan goes south is if the vigilantes come before getting taken. If itâs their civilian identities then you are as good as golden.Â
âIf theyâre leaving tonight, then they need me tonight.â And what better way to get found then by waiting by an exit?
You know Jacobâs men (however many there are) are searching for you, so you made sure to walk your pretty ass to a ticket worker and asked for a ticket to (looking up and saying the first random place you read) BlĂźdhaven, that arrives in twenty minutes, you pay for your ticket and walk away.Â
BlĂźdhaven, a âsisterâ city to Gotham, a city you know nothing about except the fact that Dick Grayson, the first Robin went there to become the hero Nightwing. Whatever he did or does there, you have absolutely zero knowledge about. Not that you want to know, maybe this is better since none of the bats go there, or worse, since you donât exactly know what kind of wack-job resides there.
Regardless, itâs not like youâre going to actually go there, itâs just a calling card to get Jacob or his men to come fetch you. Sitting down on an available bench, head tilted down, hands folded over one another, fiddling with your watch on top of your legs in faux nervousness to give a certain expression.Â
Every noise made, every step catalog, every sound is scrutinized in a way that keeps you vigilant despite playing off as nervous. Regardless of who catches you, you will make this work. You can not afford to mess this up. Please, please work. I need this to work.Â
The soft buzz you have come to accept as a norm in this universe soon turns into a static tingle. Someoneâs approachingâŚ
Your senses arenât going haywire, so it isnât one the birds, but you know that whoever is approaching, is here for you, and you specifically. Not making a sudden movement your hands fidget as the person places their hand on your shoulder.
âNada.â Flinching at the sudden contact, you slowly turned to face the perpetrator. It was the guy who was chasing you a few hours before. âLetâs go.â
Sliding his hand to grab yours, he pulls you up, leading you in a hurry but not obvious distress. And you let him. For the plot.
The cameras catch your figure getting led away by another teenager into an alley. Out of sight.
-
Far, far away, a man slammed his fist on his desk as the sound echoed in the spacious room.
The distorted voice message playing in the background as he watched in real time the situation going from bad to worse.
He doesnât know what to make of this! When this issue came to his attention it was a problem, but eventually it sort of situated itself so he left it alone, letting it play out as he watches. Seeing no need to interfere unless necessary, so he always kept an eye on it.Â
But it was different now. Situations change and at first, everything was- okay. Then when he noticed fluctuations, he grew worried and intervened.Â
He was able to stabilize the problem, not fix it. He doesnât know if he can fix it to be honest. But it was steady, for now. Heâll make sure of it. Until one day, an incident occurred and everything went to shit.
He tried, god fucking damnit did he try. He did his absolute best to placate the issue, but it quickly spiraled. All of his interventions and attempts did fuckall. So, he watched.
Thatâs all he could do. Just watch as things went from bad to worse as time went on. He couldnât do much about it, but he was trying. Trying isnât good enough, his attempts arenât good enough, he couldnât be good enough to stabilize anything anymore.
So he just watched. Watch how the issueâŚfixed itself as time passed.
And now, the issue is no more. All his efforts, his attempts, his atonement, and now it matters not. He wonders if he could have done more. He assumed the worst honestly. The voice message is whatâs keeping him sane and driving him insane.Â
He canât believe this happened. He knows that it was out of his control, that what happened was out of his control, and what was in his control spiraled to absolute shit. There is nothing to control anymore.
Heâs sorry.
He really is. He wants to apologize, over and over and over again. But he isnât sure if itâs possible to be heard. Will the receiver ever receive it? What can he do now except say âsorryâ? Even if no one will hear it. Even if it can not be forgiven, he will still apologize. Heâs sincerely sorry.
So Miguel rewinds a video, watches the fluctuation and then the nothingness. Heâs sorry.
In his hand, a locket. The only thing that managed to stay as itself. A reminder, a haunting one and at the same time a somber one. Heâs gentle with it (itâs really precious- to him and to their owner) as he stares at the picture inside the locket. There are two photos on either side, one of the photos has two figures, but only one of the two has his undivided attention.
âPerdĂłnameâŚâ Heâs so sorry.
In his guilt, by his lonesome, he misses a coordinate blinking on his screen before disappearing back into silence.
-
The walk was quiet. Too quiet. But that was fine, it was okay. It gave you time to think, to strategize. To comprehend what exactly you witnessed on that accursed computer.Â
Names. Kids names, barely adults, the youngest being preteen for fucks sake! You knew Jacob was a sleaze but not this despicable. But who are you kidding? Criminals that lack morals often are.
Yet a selfish part of you kept eating you away. There is a part of you, a big part that is going to see this through the end. Capture and detain Jacob and his crew for their crimes. Hopefully uncover those in higher up the power scale and get them convicted as well. Youâd wipe your hands clean, pat yourself on the back and go on your merry way back to Spider H.Q. or even to some other spiderâs dimension. Closer to home.
But the other part of you, a very small, barely noticeable but strong part of you is clawing itself into your mind and body. It wants to turn back, to walk away, to leave it to someone else to deal with. You now know that the bat is on this case, him and his birds. That should be enough right? They donât really need you. Batman is the worldâs greatest detective, only triumph by Tim- if memory serves you correctly.
They were talking sometime to figure it out, but you know they would have eventually cracked the case even if you werenât here. Yea, this mission doesnât really need you. It never did, the only reason things are out of wack, is because you happened to catch Jacobâs eye. You caused this to happen. It was your fault that things have derailed.
Thatâs why things have escalated, if not, it would have been a matter of time before the fighting ring would have been discovered, the bar infiltrated, and Jacob and co. would have been caught. Yea, they were already doing something about it before you showed up. Your job is basically over, you donât have to do any more than this. MaybeâŚmaybe you can really call it quits and walk away.Â
Just like all your problems.
You stilled, causing your arm to be yanked in vain. The boy, peeved, turns to look back at you. âWe gotta move. Hurry up.â
Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and Peter would be so disappointed in you. Miguel would be disappointed in you. You are disappointed in you for almost giving in. You can literally picture Miguelâs face, and because itâs so vivid in your mind, you winced.
âWhere are we going?â
âJust hurry up.â He snapped, tugging harshly.
You looked him in the eyes, really looked at him. He has blond short almost military hair, tan skin tone, and dim light brown eyes.
âWhy were you following me earlier?â you didnât budge.
âFucking move, you bit-!â
âWhoâs picking us up?â You interrupted, feet still planted on the floor, unmoving.
âYou were following just fine before!â He snapped, glaring harshly as he let go. âYouâre his favorite.â
âWhat were you promised?â Rubbing your wrist, your gaze never left his eyes as he clenched his jaw. âI told him Iâm running. You were following me before. You donât have to tell me if you donât want to. I donât care.â
The guy in front of you lunged and grabbed a fistful of your sweatshirt. âYou arrogant son of a-â He pulled you in close, enough to notice he has spacious and sporadic freckles. âI lost so much money because of you!â He was seething. âWhy the fuck would I tell you anything?â
You kept eye contact as you tilted your head. âYouâre trembling. Bags under your blood shot eyes, easily agitated I assume, are you an addict?â
Your answer came with your back slamming on the alley wall. âYou condescending mother fucker!â He slammed you two more times, and you let him. âYou donât know anything about me!â He screamed.
âNo I donât. But I donât need to. You need me though.â This kid looks around your age, maybe younger, but you can tell he has been on substance use for some time. From the hair that you can see, itâs thin, he probably doesnât hydrate enough either. âOn the other hand, I donât need you.â
From gripping your sweatshirt, he escalated to your neck, mask falling to the ground, rest in peace.
âYou narcissistic asshole!â He tightened his grip. âEver since you showed up, he started to neglect the rest of us!â
Narrowing your eyes, you placed pressure on his wrist, but not enough to hurt him. âHow did you find me?â
âYou whore, did you sleep with him? Is that why you get spoiled? Thatâs all youâll ever be good for.â
You added pressure, he winced. âAll I did was fight. How did you find me?â
âHe likes you. So much so that he threw the rest of us away.â He ignored your question. âBut heâll get bored. He always gets bored. And then youâll be thrown to the side. Like us.â
âLike us?â
He smirked, loosening his grip and shaking your hands off. âHe made me like this.â He stepped back, hand clutching his head. âHeâll treat you soooo well, and then move onto the next shiny toy. But before he tosses you out, he gets you hooked on some pills.â
Your eyes widened. NoâŚno no no. This took a turn for the worse. âWillingly?â Fists clenched at your side.
He looks at you, really looks, and scoffs. His anger resides a bit. âNo.â He watched you tense up in anger. âNot obviously. He picks a favorite and then gives them this in secret. Until you get addicted. Then you just have to make him happy and he gladly hands us enough to be normal.â
Taking all this information in. Itâs a blow to your conscience thatâs for sure. Now you really feel guilty for thinking of running away.
It seems you wore your heart on your sleeve because this set him off.
âI donât need your pity!â He swung at you. âThis is your fault!â
Head swung to the side on impact. Nothing broken. âIâm notâŚâ You were interrupted by him grabbing your collar again.
âHe stopped giving us the pills! Iâve seen what happens when you donât take them in time!â He readed his arm for another punch. âIâll die! And it will be on you!â He spat venomously and swung.
Before he could punch you again, another voice interrupted him.
âHey! Ricardo, enough! Ya basta!â A familiar voice, and a pit formed in your stomach. âIf you want your dose you should do as you're told, pendejo.â the man growled and backhanded the boy.Â
This was a stark contrast to the tone of voice you would normally associate him with. Dennis, the second bouncer that was M.I.A. earlier, is here- in front of you.
Quickly, you latched onto his arm. âWa-wait! It was my fault!â
Dennis halted, turned to face you and you wanted to run away. âYou got hit, Nada. I just returned the favor.â He turned his body towards you and placed his hand on your cheek. âIt must have hurt. Though I know you can take Christoperâs punches well, I apologize for this, it should not have happened under my watch.â
From your peripheral, you watched Ricardo stagger to his feet, blood flowing from his nose, in pain and trembling in fear. He did not make eye contact with the bouncer, or even look his way. Your heart lurched. âIâm fine⌠but heâs not-â
âHe got what he was owed.â Both you and the boy froze. âYou shouldnât have been hurt. Period. That was his job.â
Job. Of course. Youâre their âgolden gooseâ, a merchandise, and merchandise loses its value if it's imperfect or damaged. Fuck, this boy is in trouble.
âIt was my fault. I was responsible- He- He did nothing wrong-â
The hand that was gently placed on your injured cheek suddenly felt cold to the touch before he pulled away. He had a warm smile, but his eyes- his eyes showed no empathy.
âYou did nothing wrong. He hit you, and thatâs not tolerated.â You heard Ricardo whimper, and saw how quickly the manâs face changed to cold and apathetic when glancing at him.
âI made the mistake- Iâm sorry-â
Dennis faced you, warm expression once more. âDonât apologize. It was never your fault in the first place.â You felt chills.
Dennis is a big guy, big as in tall, muscular, and has the whole security vibe to him. But despite that, he always presented himself like a gentle giant. With his light brown hair, and warm blue eyes, he was very sweet with you. Right from the start too.Â
Was this how he always was? You wanted to throw up. He was favoring you, giving you special treatment because you are valuable. But once that value is gone, youâll be looked at like dirt, and treated just like Ricardo who is trembling like a baby fawn.
You wanted to throw up. This is disgusting. You want out. You want out of here! This is revolting. You seriously feel like youâre going to puke from this stress. But you have to see this through till the end. You owe Ricardo that much.
He said âusâ, meaning more are going through this right now⌠And more probably have gone through this as well. Recalling Ricardoâs words, he said some have died. The count? Unverified, and some wonât even be known. Thatâs just how dark this world, this story can be.
It may be comic books in your world, but itâs reality here. And in reality, people can die, and will die. All the time. Whether you know about it, indirectly caused it, or not know at all- people die all the time. A terrible, horrible, grotesque feeling grew inside your gut.
So you steel your nerves, or at least mask it to the best of your abilities. You decided that youâre gonna get Ricardo out of this. He can not go where you are purposely going. âI- Okay.â
Dennis smiles and ruffles your head, and it took a massive amount of restraint to not sock him then and there. Only moving his hands away. âI donât like that.â
He stills before pulling away in understanding. âMy bad.â Sounds sincere, but you donât believe he is. He doesnât even look at Ricardo anymore. Like he doesnât even exist. âLetâs go. Weâre on a tight schedule.â
You recall Jacobâs words. Hunting. Hunting you. This isnât hunting, no youâre willingly walking into an enclosure. You do want to get caught just to find where the other kids are, but you arenât going to make this easy for Jacob. No, let him earn his paycheck. And besidesâŚ
Glancing at Ricardo whoâs quiet, his steps donât make any noise, heâs shrunken into himself to avoid having a presence. Your priority changed, Ricardo has to go, just not with you.
âAnd Nada,â Despite Dennisâ large frame, he only turned his head to face you, a warm smile on his face. âYouâll come with me willingly, correct?â
âI told him that I would be going home.â Your response caused Ricardo to whip his head in your direction, shocked, while Dennisâ smile tightened and he stopped walking.
Ricardo, as if instinctual, grabbed onto your sleeve, hands shaking, and Dennis turned to face you. âHe told me to pick you up. You donât have a home and we can be your home. Youâll be fed and have a warm place to sleep. We can offer you stability, you would need not to struggle to live. Isnât that nice, Nada? Just come with us. Come home with us. Choose us, Nada.â
There was silence, a measured pause before you opened your mouth. âAnd if I donât want to?â
The temperature turned cold, and your senses went from light buzz to quiet static, gradually increasing.
âI am not allowed to hurt you. I canât hurt you.â He replied. âBut I donât have to, and wonât have to hurt you.â It sounded too confident to be a lie. It was a promise.
Ricardo made himself smaller behind you, his grip tightened.
Your only response was not a verbal one. You just simply continued walking and Dennis smiled and continued leading towards the end of the alley, where he parked a white commercial construction van. Taking your time, you watched Dennis open the door and wait next to it, watching your every move.Â
Three steps until you reached the van, you heard someone make their presence known.
It was about fucking time.
-
Duke approached the set location both Oracle and Steph with Cass provided with.Â
Earlier when Duke caught a teen, one of two (that he knew of), the kid spilled on sight.
â...And theyâre taking Nada.â He sobbed. Duke went rigid at the familiar name.
âTaking her? Where?â He held himself back from shaking the teen.
After getting notified that the civilian he is familiar with (âfamiliarâ meant to be taken with a grain of salt) might somehow be involved in this somewhat rapidly escalating situation was starting to get him a bit antsy.Â
When he first located his target, a teen named Frank, the pieces slowly started coming together. Albeit rather too slowly for his convenience. But Duke sure likes a good puzzle, and heâs almost done with this one. Itâs just that this civilian Nada, is a piece that he isnât sure where exactly fits here.Â
âThe uh- man-manager really likes Nada.â Frank gripped onto Duke, body jittery, clear exhaustion on his face. âHeâs looking for her. Ah, right n-now. Um, our job is to find N-Nada.â
Dukeâs expression darkened at the thought. âWhere is she? Where is Nada?â
Frank swallowed his saliva, âI don- I donât know. I swear! All I know is th-that we were told to find Nada and bring her to Christpher. B-but then the location changed and-â
âWhere?â Duke stressed.
âI donât know- but! Um,â He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old phone. âHere! Itâs all in here. The location ch-change and updates on Nada.â Almost dropped it with his trembling hands.
With this new piece of information in his hands, he feels that much closer to finding the civilian that seems to be way too connected to this case than he would like to believe. It was getting harder and harder to keep himself in check.
âAnything else? What about you?â
Duke got to hear just how many these teens get recruited at best, and taken at worst.
They get these teens, younger ones, to convince others like them. They branch out all over Gotham, but they have gotten many of them through Park Row, mostly known now as Crime Alley. Duke knows this is one major reason why Jason has silently joined their mission.
On the other hand, those who are kidnapped are usually the upper middle class and some of the homeless. At first it was assumed they were picked at random, but quickly it was discovered those with issues, whether it be addiction, felony charges, or violent tendencies are selectively chosen. Those who figure them out are older adults, who also have issues.
In order to find rats, you send a rat.
What started as a small scale quickly turned into a regular occurrence. If Jim Gordon and some trusted other officers hadnât caught on to the myriad of missing peopleâs cases, this might have gone on longer until it would have been too late.Â
âI- I am just a nobody. Just someone wh-who helps bring in more people.â The kid before Duke began to shed tears.
Duke zeroed in on this information. âIs that what happened to Nada? Did you or anyone else recruit her?â
This caused Frank to jump back. âWhat? No!â He let go of Duke as if burned. âI-I wasnât the one who-who brought Nada in. That was the manager. He found Nada.â
Okay, now theyâre getting somewhere. âWhen? Do you know?â
âA bit over a week ago, I think. The ma-mannager really likes Nada.â Frank rubbed his head pensively. âHe always treats them kindly, sp-spoils them, and even lets them pick when and how many fights they'll fight in. Heâs, um, heâs been trying to get Nada to join him.â
Duke felt his blood run cold. âJoin him?â
Frank freezes, and the winces. âThe manager pr-promised to take some of us with him. But ever since Nada showed up. He- he has basically abandoned us!â He began to cry, hands covering his face.
âDo you know where they are taking her?â
Frank shakes his head, sobbing.
After some more questions, and comforting this shaking teen, he relents and waves a police officer towards him. Guaranteeing Frank wonât bolt at the sight of a cop, he believed he got everything he could from this teen, and so he handed them to an officer.Â
He checks the phone given to him and immediately contacts Barbara. But as if the universe was working with him, she reached out to everyone about the civilian's location. About you.
âFound her! Spotted a block away from the sanctuary. Gray sweatshirt, sweatpants, black mask, turning the corner. Sending coordinates.â
With Stephanieâs reply, Duke hopped on his bike and looked through the phone he received. âIâve got a phone, with locations and ranks. No names. Just a couple of active locations.â
âYour civilian friend was spotted near a main road, a shelter. Cass and Steph are nearby, how did things go with the kid?â
âSheâs involved, and the guy brought her in. Jacob.â Dukes watched a location ping near the shelter Barbara told him about. Could this be you? Are you being tracked knowingly? Just how involved are you?
âI can practically hear the gears in your head turning. Mind sharing?â
âThat guy, he said something that stuck to me. âHeâs been trying to get Nada to join him.â and by the tone, it seems one-sided. Iâm not sure just how involved she is⌠Something isnât adding up right.â
âIs that a conjecture or are your feelings-"
âIâm sure of it.â Duke sent all the information on the phone to Barbara. âAnd if I'm wrong, then she is still just like the others. Lost.â
After a moment of silence, she responded. âAlright. Iâll keep you updated then. It seems she managed to lose both Cass and Steph. I'll admit, she is slippery for sure. Sheâs being hunted, Signal. And not just by us.â
âI know.â Duke sped away. âIâm on my way.â
-
âHey you three!â A charismatic voice called out, making his way towards you three. âIs everything alright?â
You felt your body straighten up but did not look back. Despite the voice not sounding familiar to you, your spider sense was all the confirmation you really needed.
Dennis walked past you and Ricardo, shielding you both as inconspicuously as possible. Anyone wouldnât have noticed the intent, but the stranger was extremely well trained, and he noticed.
Honestly speaking, he wasnât really going to get involved (liar) completely, just assist and go on his merry way, his presence didnât seem completely necessary. Well, that was the case- until the large guy threw hands first.
Thatâs something he couldnât turn a blind eye from. Not that he ever would. Despite how tired he was, and how all he wanted to was to get home and spend time with his family, he knew this took precedence. A gut feeling. And it hit the mark this time as well.
He has been very busy lately, but he had promised to make time to visit and because he had also promised to show up for an event but something urgent called him over. And he didnât know it could have been even worse than he anticipated. The whole timeline went out the window so quickly that it sped up progress, as well as action.
Now that heâs in town, picking up some pick-me-ups for nostalgia- his peripheral catches movement. Thatâs when everything clicked into place.
He quickly catalogues the threat. A man, tall, built like a bear, leading two- one absolutely petrified, and the other guarded- civilians further down an alleyway. He doesnât hesitate, and makes his way over, calling out to the three of them.
He was a good distance away, yet can see clearly how both froze up (which isnât suspicious in of itself), and only one turned their head back in his direction, dried blood crust from his nose. He looked like a mess really. The other still hadnât turned around, just tensed, shoulders stiff, posture straightened but slightly curved into themselves, as if not wanting to take up space. He catalogs all this information before his eyes return to the man who adorns a warm smile that doesnât reach his eyes.
The bigger guy walked towards him, a smile that would have fooled anyone if he hadnât blatantly witnessed this guy backhand one of the young ones. Heâs glad he trusted his gut feeling.
âEverythingâs alright. Sorry for disturbing you.â The bigger man spoke, stopping a few steps in front of the two others. âWeâll be on our way, you should too.â
The one who was frightened before, trembling still, but his bloodshot glare didnât go unnoticed. âItâs no bother really. It seems that one of them has a bloody nose. I know itâs not any of my business-â
âThen walk away.â Dennis interrupts.
âI know itâs not any of my business, but I think he should really get that checked out. I can give you directions to a nearby clinic.â
Ricardo barked in protest. âIâm fine! I just fell.â His hands never slackened his grip on the sweatshirt.
âYou heard the boy, this isnât your business.â Dennis âHave a good rest of your day, sir.â
There was a moment of silence before the guy nodded. âYes I see, Iâm sorry for coming off as meddlingâŚâ Patting his pockets he pulled out his identification. âYou see, Iâm an officer and I was just making sure everything was all right.â
At the mention of the occupation both Dennis and Ricardo became tense, the only difference is that one was able to hide it well while the other winced, backing away (while pulling the other person).
âI assure you that everything is just fine, officer.â Dennis gave a quick glance to the badge before glancing behind him. âIsnât it?â
âYes. I just fell.â Ricardo repeated, pulling the other person along, towards the van. Just two more steps.
Fear. Ricardo was expressing obvious fear. At the officer? No. He hates the cops, and will always bite back. His fear is from Dennis. And he was being very obvious about it. And the officer clocked it immediately. He could work with this.
Putting his badge away he spoke calmly. âWhat is your relationship with them?â
âThatâs very invasive officer.â Dennisâ lips strained to keep its appearance. âHe said they're fine and it's getting late. Iâm taking them home.â
âAnd Iâd let you, really.â His demeanor changed. âBut something isnât adding up here. You see.â
Dennis has patience, but it is running thin right now. And he knew that. He also knows that the other civilian still hasnât moved, as if stuck in place. They never once turned around, truly guarded. The itch is growing, and he knows there's more at play here, he knows it, he can feel it. Now, he just needs a probable cause to still keep them here. Ragebaiting is also an option.
âOfficer.â Dennisâ voice strained in thin veiled annoyance, reaching inside his suit jacket. âWe really are in a hurry,â Pulling out a black card, he holds it out. âIf you have any questions, please donât hesitate to call. We really must be going now. Good day.â
The officer quirked an eyebrow, but complied anyway. He made his way and reached out for the card, making a show of reading the fine print. Interesting. His ears picked up the hushed voice of one of the two civilians.
âGet on, hurry!â Ricardo whispered as he stepped on, pulling the sleeve of the other. He glances at the guy.
âQuit it, Iâm going!â A softer, androgynous- but leaning more towards feminine- voice replied, equally low, but his ears caught it all the same.
âI need to see some IDs.â He puts the card inside his jacket, a smile once again on his face when he notices the eyebrow furrow in annoyance from the big guy.
âOh what basis?â
âThe guy over there is sweating, his body is trembling despite it being about 65 degrees out, blood shot eyes, and was bleeding from his nose that I saw you hit him earlier, by the way. The âI fellâ excuse didnât work on me, and,â The officer made sure the big guy didnât try anything, and if he did, heâs already ready for it. âHe seems to be going through some withdrawals. Iâm just trying to make sure everything is okay. Like I said before, I need to see some IDs.â
âRicardo, can you drive?â Dennis pulls out his wallet and with it an ID, showing it to the officer.
Said boy flinched, as if the attention towards him physically hurt. âUm- no sir.â
âThen figure it out and go.â
âIâm afraid I canât let any of you walk out. Your ID is fake, Dennis Mayson. Now I really canât let any of you walk away. Not to mention your friend over there hasnât turned around once since I called out.â
Dennisâ warmth smile completely dissipated. âGo, Ricardo.â He pulled out a knife from his suit, aiming it at the officer. âEven if youâre late, get Nada to the location. Go.â
Well this took an interesting turn. The officer couldnât help but watch the scene unfold pretty dramatically. Well, everything can happen in Gotham. In the blink of an eye, he lunged just as the big guy did.
A big swing and he side-stepped before grabbing the arm and pulling. The guy dropped the knife and caught it with the other hand and swung.
He jumped back, releasing his hold. âSorry to inform you, but youâre under arrest for attacking a police officer.â
While the skirmish started, he noticed from the corner of his eye the male dubbed Ricardo pulled the girl out of the van. Now he was able to catch a glimpse of the other party member.
His eyes immediately locked onto hers and noticed how she stiffened up. Eyes, worn down and tired, frame is light, hair somewhat of a mess, body posture showing signs of anxiousness and stress, but what captivated him most, was her face.Â
In that moment of distraction, he snapped back to reality in time to avoid a strike to the face. A sharp sting followed by droplets of blood appeared on the left side of his cheek. Well, he mostly avoided a strike to the faceâŚ
âRicardo, GO!â Dennis stressed, swinging.
The officer dodged as both the civilians started making their way out of the alleyway opposite from his position. He didnât really mind perse, he will end this fight once theyâre out of sight and then find them. Heâs confident he can find them.
After all, he was trained by the world's greatest detective.
-
Richard âDickâ Grayson.
Thatâs who you made eye contact with when Ricardo pulled you out of the van. Because why the fuck not. You canât have peace for a god damn fucking day.
You watched how his eyes zoned in on you immediately, watching, noting, examining you like one would examine something with interest. You shuddered.
You recalled reading that Dick was going to come back to Gotham but why did it have to be today of all days? Youâre seriously about to lose it. Honestly.
âHurry up! Letâs go Nada!â Ricardo shoves in urgency.
âIâm going! Iâm going!â Just as you both were about to turn the corner, an engine rev could be heard coming from the direction you both are heading.
Around the corner a very familiar yellow motorcycle came into view, blocking your path. You noticed through their helmet that they were focused solely on you. âItâs you.â They way he said those words, soft and almost in relief.
Eh? What the fuck is happeneing. You knew you were getting hunted, especially by Jacob and co. but to be caught this soon by the birds is honestly going to be your thirteenth reason.
âOh shit. A suit!â Ricardo pulled you behind him. Things were going south real quick.
Duke got off his bike, hands in the air to show no weapons, and not hostile intent. His (covered) eyes never leave your frame. âIâm not here to hurt any of you. Youâre being hunted.â
You think? Your eyes narrowed in anger. You already know that! Thatâs why youâre stressed the fuck out!
Duke takes your facial expression as hostile and fearful. Before he can say anything else, a loud grunt is echoed through the alley and he notices a fight between Dick in his civilian (detective?) clothes, and one of Jacobâs members. Oh shit.
Ricardo bolts, harshly yanking your sleeve to run past the van causing both Dick and Duke to snap their attention on you. âSignal, switch!â
Duke wanted to protest, but now that he has found where you are, heâll respect Dickâs decision and switch his attention towards the bouncer.
Dick on the other hand swerves around him and runs towards where the two civilians headed.Â
Dick notices that they are fast- or more accurately you are the one whoâs agile. He watches them run towards the crowd, trying to lose him but once again, heâs trained, and he can easily spot them.
He estimates catching up to them in less than five minutes. Well, at least he will get some of his steps in early. His mind plays back to what he witnessed before the chase.
It seems like Duke wasnât just patrolling, he was tailing. And you seem to be his objective.Â
You both ignore Dick as he calls out for you to stop. Yea- no, who even listens to cops anyways? Though, despite the head start you both acquired earlier, it seems that he would catch up real quick. Youâre confident in yourself to easily maneuver around, but Ricardo on the other hand is not as agile as you. And heâs slowing down by the second.
âWhere are we supposed to go?!â You press.
âI donât know!â He huffs, out of breath. âI was just told to take you to him!â The bouncer.
âGreat, so weâre both fucked.â You yank him when he almost trips.
âYou bitch!â He hisses. âAll I know is that we needed to find y-you!âÂ
There was no way you were going to get caught by Dick Grayson or Signal, or any of the bat co. as a matter of fact.Â
And now Ricardo is starting to wheeze in exhaustion. You are compromised. And your spider-senses went haywire.
âStop right there!â A hand grabbed the back of your sweatshirt, halting you with ease and in turn, stopping Ricardo in his tracks. âGotcha!â
You stopped yourself from socking him in the gut.
Ricardo, on the other hand, pulled out a switchblade. This bought you enough time to forgo your sweatshirt, leaving you only with a tank top. âJust run Nada!â
Dick easily subdued Ricardo, his eyes watching how you didnât even hesitate or look back as you booked it. Crossing the streets as the light turned green once you were on the other side.
He watches you glance back and disappear into the crowd.
Guess heâll have to suit up and discuss what just happened with his family.Â
Being a vigilante is a stressful 24/7 job.
Prev; Next;
Yay Dick finally made an apperance. I almost forgot about him lowkey.
If you find any inconsistencies- no you don't lolol. I also didn't mean to take that long for the chapter-- oops. Poor mc can't catch a fucking break- yikes.
Stephanie and Cassandra will get more screen time soon.
Arc I is more centered in mc's life trying to get home. Arc II is more centered around her relationships with the others. That's why I'm trying to speed run this arc lolol. I'm almost there- trust, I will get there I swear.
Web Bound Secret Corner!
Spider-Woman helped fix things inside the bar enough times that Jacob started calling her "Tink"
Spider-Woman's was going to find a way to get Ricardo captured first so he can get treatment for his withdrawals but he did the job himself.
Spider-Woman isn't like the other spiders, though some things do overlap.
Spider-Woman's date of birth is January 1st.
Spider-Woman's spider sense causes her to be paranoid at all times, thus causing sleep deprivation.
Spider-Woman fears Batman, Jason, Cassandra in that order.
Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 6 - Lock In
Tim Drake takes pride in his detective skills. He is glad he can put his talents to good use, really he is. But this case he is currently assisting on is weird. Weird in a sense that things were unfolding rather quickly.Â
At first it started as a few missing kids cases. Runaways going missing, and sometimes they unfortunately turn up dead. It wasnât just runaways though, upon further investigation, it seems they werenât the only targets.Â
No, it was much more. Orphans, runaways, even those with families have been going missing and the numbers have quietly increased but not to the point where the public is concerned. The only reason it has gotten any attention is because shelters have documented teens getting scouted and then disappearing and no ransom call, ever.
It has been going on for months, the paperwork and reports being buried until only just recently has it been getting attention by James Gordon. Bruce being how he is, and what led him to become Batman, made it his mission to uncover the cases of missing teens.
What they found was very little but enough to narrow down that this is a group doing. And itâs not their first rodeo either. The most common link is the shelters where these runaways go, since Bruce has established some Wayne Foundations around town the cctv around there have significantly narrowed down possible leads.
And then they had a breakthrough, a familiar face kept appearing, but only recently, and thus narrowed down on the search. Just when they were getting somewhere, something unexpected happened.
Life threw a boon. Someone with information was caught. Sebastian. Not only was he caught, he was set up, someone had called and tipped information on Sebastian which led to his capture. Then, said man started spilling information, he talked real fast, shining light on this case that happened to be worse than they all thought.Â
These kids were lured in for one thing. Trafficking. How they were lured varied, kidnap non-risk teens, bait goods such as drugs or money to the wrong crowd, the vulnerable ones, or straight up recruit those who were interested.
Recruit them for what? Illegal fighting rings is a start. Regardless if you were kidnapped, lured, or went willingly, you were trapped into a crime ring essentially with no escape. Your life was theirs. Some of these kids have lost their lives, and some havenât been seen since.
Despite spilling, Sebastian hadnât or wouldnât disclose the locations of these rings, only that theyâre new to Gotham but not in general. This was never good news.Â
And yet they were catching more and more people who are directly linked to this case. Some runaways were discovered laying low, but these are just the ones that went willingly, the missing ones are still a now show if not found in a body bag.Â
Till one of the runaways spoke of a fighting ring behind a bar. A well known bar to be exact.
He felt like this case was coming to an end. Now all thatâs left are the missing kids. God after this, he wants to sleep for three whole days.Â
âGot a breakthrough.â Barbaraâs voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
âWhich one?â Ah, how can Tim forget?
Theyâre actually working on two cases. The runaways and the newcomer of Gotham who has yet to be identified. The only thing they have to go off of is sketches and looks so farfetched that they havenât been released to the public.
Only in Gotham as they say. No one says that.
âThe kids.â She informed him. âOr more like a possible link.â
âDo tell, I need a break.â He joked. There was never a break for the geniuses.
âI wish, here, look at this.â Babs chuckled, âThis man, Jacob,â cue the picture of the man in question popped up on the bat computer that both Babs and Tim are sharing. âI scanned his face for some time, and guess what?â
Tim can literally see. âWhat?â He played along.Â
âJacob isnât his real name. Say hello to Eric Mosquera.â Barbara jazzed hands. âHeâs the right hand man of a well known cartel in Spain. It took some time but he got work done, he looks better now than before.â
âWell now, having a foreign cartel was not in my bingo card for this case. Who do you think is his doctor? They made a miracle.â Tim sighed. âWhat are they doing here in Gotham? Canât they stick to their own territory?â
âOh you big baby, think of it like this. If we stop them here, then Spain is free from a murderous cartel group.â
âIf only things would go that smoothly. Theyâll just lay low for a bit before rearing their ugly mugs again.â
âYea whatever, we got this in the bag. Go tell Bruce, Iâm going to follow up on something else.â
âAre you talking about the new ghost vigilante?â
âYou know it, no matter how many cctv there are in Gotham, they still somehow are barely seen.â And honestly, itâs getting on her nerves. âIâm pinpointing locations of arrests and possible sightings of our new meta outsider.â
Just then a message popped up on the computer, a message Tim sighed for the nth time. âSorry to interrupt your brooding hour B, but I have something I think you want to know. Also you have a message from Commissioner Gordon.â Reading the message he frowns.
âOn my way.â Bruce responded.
This information didnât have to be in person, so he saw no reason for Bruce to come, no, actually now that they know about Jac-er, Eric, they can just go to the bar Eric owns. And would you look at that, it just so happens to be the bar that the mercenary happens to frequent. âNo, I think itâs best you go with-â
âI am fully capable of handling it myself just fine. I donât require fatherâs assistance.â a third voice snapped. âIâm here with Kent, weâre fine Drake.â And the line was turned off.
The attitude.
âExplain.â Batman demanded.
Tim held back a sigh âSo you see, the mercenary actually seems to work for Jacob who is actually Eric Mosquera and is the right hand man of the Spanish cartel known as El Conquistador. What a lame nameâŚâ Tim mumbled the last part.
âWhoâs in the area?â Besides Damian and Jon were left unsaid but Tim knew.
âDukeâs twenty minutes away looking for a lead on a runaway, but Jasonâs in the area. Cass and Steph are in their civvies scoping out shelters and for any suspicious movement. Want me to suit up?â
âNegative. Let Jason handle it. Iâm going to have a chat with Sebastian again. Meet me there in thirty.â
âRoger that B.â Welp, so much for a breakthrough. Itâs a good thing he was already suited up beforehand.Â
Just as Tim was about to click on Jasonâs icon, Damianâs name flashes on the screen first. âDrake, look into the time of now and send it over to me.â
âHey- wait-â Tim was caught off guard, with the order âWhatâs this about? I thought you didnât ârequire assistanceâ for this.â He teased, Barbara raised an eyebrow in amusement.
âI donât.â Damian snapped and shut the comms off.
âWhat is going onâŚâ Despite the odd request, Tim hacked into the cameras where Damian and Jon were located, Barbara side eyeing in interest. He still had time before meeting with Bruce, so he watched as a civilian threw themselves out of Jon and Damianâs path. âWhat the?â His words caught Barbaraâs attention as she focused on what Tim was watching. Recognition flashed in her eyes but kept quiet before focusing on her assignment.
Tim was amused as he watched the stranger panic and apologize. âCute.â Unfortunately there was no audio, but heâs sure Damian recorded it. Looping the video back, Tim couldnât take his eyes off this civilian. Not much was shown but he couldnât help but be enchanted, dazed even. It seems Jon and Damian felt the same way. Was this âlove at first sightâ for his baby brother?
Whatever, he made sure to save the video and push the stranger out of his mind for now. Time is short and he still needs to tell Jason his mission before he meets up with Bruce. Barbara kept her eyes on the video before returning to type on her laptop.
Tim calls Jason. âWhat?â
Everyone is so rude today. âWe got a lead on the manager of the bar. Iâm sending you the info before I leave. You suited?â
âYea, let me see what you got.â
Tim watched all the information sent to Jasonâs icon. âAlright then-â
Tim could only hear movement and Jasonâs line went silent, then muffling. âWhat the?â Had something happened to Jason? But Tim clearly heard movement before the line went silent.
He called out again before hanging up and dialing once more, getting ready to become backup incase Jason needed it. âYou still there?â
âYea, Iâm still here. Iâm in the Narrows, following the lead.â Okay, seems like there was nothing Tim had to worry about.
âGood, while Damian follows the mercenary, you got the manager. Iâm seeing some suspicious moments, it seems heâs leaving in a hurry. Turn on your commlink, Bruce is already moody as he is.â
âWhen isnât he like that?â Tim can feel Jason roll his eyes. âDid something happen? Whyâd you go silent?â
âJust helping a civilian. She was getting chased.â
Man today just keeps getting better (sarcasm). âShe safe?â
âSheâs fine, just left. Seems so but Iâll check up on this later, probably a stalker.â
âAlright then. Iâm out to join Bruce. Stay safe.â Tim ended the call and headed out, making sure to inform Barbara.
âI heard, donât worry.â Tim watched Barbara scan the database of a certain voice.
Before he left, he was curious, âWhatcha got over there?â
âJust some recordings, the tips my dad has gotten, wanted me to run a voice check but as you know, nothing pops up. I think whoever calls is using a voice changer. Clever bastard, why canât they put this much effort in being the good guys.âÂ
âWell, if anyone can solve this, itâs our very own genius hacker. Good luck.â Tim headed out.
Barbara waved him away as she made herself comfortable in her wheelchair, she pulled out her phone and opened her messaging app.
-
âFortunately, those calls get sent to me. They always start out the same.â Jim presses play on the saved recordings.
âRicardo Rodrigez, age 32, thief and aggravated assault. Gotham Park, smoking and drinking.â Jim plays the next one. âErick Gardfield, age 19, breaking and entering, car burglary. Grocery Market, South side of Gotham.â âTrent Dawrin, age 22, several DUIs, alcoholic. Partying at Gotham collage, North side.â âAndrew Thomas, age 43, domestic violence, stalking, several assaults, battery, gang related crimes. Crime Alley, in a white van, plate nameâŚâ
âThis one was our breakthrough.â Jim plays the next recording.
âSebastian Davis, age 38. Several counts of sexual assault, selling illegal substances to minors, stalking, and in possession of an illegal fire arm. Stripbar, East End.â
âThatâs when I called you to interrogate him.â Batman confirms with a nod. âWe received eight tips, and the other five are from our interrogation with you. All through a payphone, never the same location, and I believe theyâre always near.â
Batman stays silent, head put to work. âVisual?â
âNever caught. Regardless, I have more information on the kidnappings. We thought it was just trafficking here in Gotham from a crime lord. Bruce, this is bigger than we thought and weâre stretched thin. Sebastian confessed to several hidden and underground fighting rings, kids get thrown in these and they fight and get sponsored, after that, theyâre shipped off to be hunted for sport. Hereâs everything we have so far. I know you can find out more.â He hands Batman a flashdrive. âThese kids, a lot of them are nameless, we got nothing⌠Iâve got two sheets of papers with names and some with no pictures. Itâs what I was able to pull from the system.â
Batman takes it. Thatâs right, once Sebastian was in custody, he spilled so much. All in exchange for protection, that coward. He was the reason that they even know about the mercenary deserter from Australia. Took two days to track him down, and where he frequents.Â
And now, Damian is on his tail, today.
Batman nods, pocketing the usb in his utility belt. âAnything else?â
âSo far, no. Nothing about the new vigilante, not even in the media has seen them.â Jim sighs a deep tired one For such a nosy group of people, heâs genuinely shocked they canât get any pictures other than a blurry figure thatâs hard to decipher even with new technology. âNo connection to this either. Think you're scaring them off?â
His response was nothing but silence as Batman jumped off the building, disappearing in the shadows despite the daylight. Rescuing those kids, and shutting down these âundergroundâ fights takes priority.
Now that he knows these poor kids are going through hell in his city, he will stop at nothing to save them. Hell will come to those who get in his way. He wonât let them become like him.
Jim watched his trusted friend leave him alone on the rooftop of the GCPD Headquarters. Walking down the stairs, heading to his office, he sat down in his room in silence. He and others had worked overtime in order to solve this case. He couldnât imagine just how long this was going on for.Â
On top of his desk, was the folder of this case, a profile sat on top of the others, an uncaught criminal-mercenary. Christopher Connor was the name dropped days ago. A âbodyguardâ of sorts as well as a military deserter. Government name unknown, just this fake alias was given. Hired by an unnamed person, and has been in Gotham for a little over a year. Tracking him was a bitch, but Batman and his wards were able to locate him.Â
They still couldnât find one of the hidden fighting rings, but he knows theyâre close. He can feel it, call it- a detective intuition. Sebastian Davis was tight lipped about that one, Jim knows he knows. All he did was drop names, no locations, no place of residency, not even which side of Gotham they are. Just names, ranks, and descriptions. And heâs giving this information out piece by piece. Not enough to complete a puzzle or to fit two together. Just sporadic random puzzle pieces. Heâs buying time.
What Batman did get out of this piece of shit was where they would like to scout vulnerable teenagers, or runaways. The dirtiest part of Gotham (ie. The Narrows, Park Row, and Marina to name a few), or the desperate parts of Gotham, like the homeless shelters scattered throughout.
Jim wonders if there will come a time where Gotham would be free of crime. He would love to be alive to see it one day. He just needs hope.
Moving his sights to his computer, he checks his emails and anything of importance. After ten he noticed something. In the tab he sees a pop up. Clicking on it, the three simple words caused a pit to form in his stomach.
âThey know. ScatterâÂ
âThey know?â He repeated to himself. Was this message left for him? Was he the only one to receive this or was this intended for someone else? Surely not. Surely⌠It seems the police are onto something, and this sender is warning them to not get caught. How deplorable, corruption at its finest.
The pop up containing the three words vanished when he clicked on the tab, as if it was never there. He may not be tech savvy but heâs smart enough to know that (the tab closing on its own) is not normal.
It seems he is going to have to pay his daughter a visit. Placing his scattered notes inside the folder he placed them in his carrier and dialed his daughters number. Taking a few steps out his office and before he could press the green call button, his phone rings. An unknown number.Â
Heâs about to cancel the call when he felt his gut twist. Such a foreboding feeling, he swallowed his nervousness as anticipation builds up in his body, his thumb slides on his phone screen.
-
Somehow your mind was still intact as you made it back to the junkyard. Your spider sense had finally quieted down when you got a good distance away from Jason Todd, the Red Hood. How shitty is your fucking luck to run not only into Supermanâs son and Jason Todd?Â
Your mind is on thin ice. So close to collapse. To add to your fucking worries, you took off your sweatshirt, meaning you exposed your watch. Though, your saving grace is the distraction of your pursuer taking the attention away. But god you are losing it.
Changing into your suit, bringing along your bag containing your civilian clothes and crocs, you pulled out your phone, the one that you bought, and located the office Commissioner Gordon is a part of.
Were you nervous? Yes. For one, youâre going to be awfully close to the Batsignal, and second, you know for a fact that Jim Gordon snitched. âS why the birds are here in the Narrows, where only one of the wards patrolled.
Leaping off of the warehouse roof, you make sure to stick to tall buildings, using it as cover. Itâs still daylight out here after all.Â
Leaving the Narrows, and keeping an eye out for police cars, or any indication of a crime you could stop along the way- nothing. Thatâs good, means there are no distractions, but you know that most crimes occur indoors rather than outdoors. Those tend to be harder to discover and even harder to solve. The underground rings are a perfect example of that. Well lucky for Gotham, youâll put a stop to it, for good.
Landing on the roof where bat signal is located at the junction of the area called Five Points on the lower east side of Gotham City, you were good at making sure you werenât discovered but you can kiss your ghost status goodbye if you climb down the window in broad fucking daylight. Guess you could call him?
But heâs a senior (technically), and youâd feel bad making an old man like him climb the stairs just to see you for a few minutes. What if he isnât here? Then that means you showed up for nothing, how embarrassing. Guess youâll call his phone directly first, save yourself the embarrassment.Â
Though you can always just place the information down and pray he is the only one who picked it up. It would totally suck if anyone other than Jim finds this. Your paranoia is honestly taking over your rational thoughts.
Pulling out your burner phone, you dialed the commissionerâs personal phone number.
What are the chances he would pick up an unknown number? He might not believe you⌠buuuuut, you have a trick up your sleeve should he not believe you. Two rings and a half later, you heard his tired voice.
âWhoâs this?â Damn, no âHelloâ?
âCommissioner Gordon,â You greeted, making sure your actual voice was not used. âItâs a pleasure.â
Jim recognized the voice on the line, you could tell. How? Simple, his tone of voice changed to serious. âItâs you. The one that leaves names and locations. Who are you?â
âHereâs my last tip.â Serious, no nonsense, stern, and not acknowledging his question. You canât get distracted, especially since time is of the essence and if the bats are on this case, it will keep them occupied, you hope. âJacob Jones, age 38. Manager of an illegal fighting ring behind a local bar in the Narrows. Suspected of recruiting wanted and up-and-coming criminals along with runaways. Risk of fleeing today. Iâm sure you got my message earlier.â
Jim was rendered speechless, and his heart sank.ââRisk of fleeingâ?â Another terrible feeling appeared in his stomach.
âThey know the bats are onto them, theyâre scattering. You have less than twelve hours before they disappear for good.â You informed. âThereâs no time to waste.â
Jim couldnât help but ponder how things could go so wrong so quickly. âIâm on my way then.â
âI would have liked this to stay between us, but Iâm sure you already informed Batman.â You sighed, body tense from all this stress. âOnce this is done and over with, I will be out of your hair for good. Goodbye.â
âWait!â Deciding to humor the commissioner, you stayed in the line, so he continued and repeated his earlier question. âWho are you?â
âIâm just your friendly neighbor- friend,â recalling the time when the police chief from your world asked this same question when you saved him, your chest throbbed. âOnly passing by, I wonât stay long. âSides, this is the batâs territory. Iâll leave the files under the bat signal, make sure youâre the only one picking this up.â Then you ended the call.
This is better, yes, old age be damned. Avoid contact as much as possible, no more unnecessary risks, your mental health wonât be able to handle any more setbacks. This is good, now that this will take care of things, you can fully focus on going back home. You were never going to debut yourself as Spider-woman either way, so this is playing it safe. The less attention you draw to yourself as your alter ego, the better, itâs a miracle you have managed to escape the batâs radar this far, and you really donât want to jinx it. Hopefully you wonât ever have to come in contact with the infamous Batman himself.Â
Leaving the files you were able to hear faint frantic footsteps in the distance, as if someone was running. Without hesitation you ran off the roof and swung away just in time as you heard the metal door to the roof open.Â
âWait!â
Swinging away you couldnât help but sigh in relief. That was too close, and honestly, you think youâre pushing your luck way too much this time. Now you really have to lay low, even if they catch Jacob. You just canât risk it anymore. Since you know the commissioner is on his way, itâs time for you to visit Jacob (again) but as your alter ego spider-woman. Â
All ya gotta do is make sure heâs webbed up before he can disappear on the cops. Even if he talks about a person in a spider suit to the GCPD, there will be no video evidence to expose you. Just him and your webs.Â
But you need to find the right timing. You canât do it now, itâs still bright out. And waiting until dark will only increase his chance at escaping. So you need a plan. A really good, full proof plan.
Though what does stress you out is simply how much time you already spent here in this foreign world, far from home. You miss your phone, or better said, the contents in your phone to be exact.
Photos and videos, all of you and your loved ones. Stored into one device that is so far out of your reach. Since being stuck here, if you could wish for anything (besides going home) is for your damn phone. Youâd really lose it if you lost the one device that has all your fond memories stored in one drive. If you lose that, it would definitely be the end for you.
âStay in the game, babes, you canât tweak out just yet.â Maybe giving yourself a pep talk when you're at your wits end isnât a good idea solely because it isnât helping you in the slightest.Â
Swinging between enclosed apartment buildings in order to keep a semblance of being inconspicuous, you land in an alleyway near a random convenience store but close enough to have a clear eye view of the bar you had left earlier that day (as a civvie). Making yourself comfortable sitting on the fire escape stairs you observe.
Despite being early in the afternoon, and every gothamite was going about their day, the bar was surprisingly quiet. Very underwhelming if you say so yourself but youâd never dismiss your sixth sense when it comes to bad feelings. Something isnât right.
âWhereâs the bouncer?â With how crowded the streets are, their bar is fairly popular and always has customers (even on less busy nights), so there is always a bouncer. They have two bouncers, both work twelve hour shifts, and you know for damn fucking sure, the second one is m.i.a.Â
Itâs still day time and you were fucking sure you were not about to walk out with your suit on. That was suicide. Especially when the bat (aka Red Hood) and the country bumpkin (Jon) are out here working overtime. This fucking sucks. You feel that time is running out, should you really risk this? As spider-woman? Placing your bag down, you decided on your next move, but with precautions.
Your mind drifts off into a memory with the man who wanted to chain you to his side.
âWhat did you buy with your first winning kid?â Jacobâs eyes zoned in on your figure, watching you wrap your hands securely.
âHowâd you know I went and spent it all?â Finishing the wrap, you looked up at him. âAnd Iâm not a kid.â
ââSpent it allâ? You kids sure donât know the concept of managing money.â He chuckled, his eyes locked on you. âHow did it feel to make that much quickly?â
For some reason, you felt like he was testing you, everything you respond and everything he asks has meaning, and that your answers are being dissected. âToo good to be true, if I am being honest.â
Jacob chuckled, âYea? Youâre making plenty even while cutting your fights. Too easy for ya kid?â
Scoffing you fiddles with your fingers. âIâm getting by just fine, but it doesnât mean I donât struggle. Iâm just passing the time. And Iâm telling you, Iâm not a kid, Iâm already of drinking age.â
âSeriously? You look fifteen, maybe because you look scrawny with those baggy clothes. Regardless, you really impressed me that night.â
That night where you both met. You didnât pay attention to it at first, but you know that this guy isn't what he appears to be. He acts differently towards you then with Christopher or the other no-names in this place. Heâs charismatic, friendly, attentive if you pay attention, but why you? Whatâs his gain here?Â
The people that come in and out of this bar are mostly adults, but there are someâŚnot so normal attendees here as well. Both with not so good intentions, and those who seem to have almost lost it all. But the people here, they are willing participants- not forced- as far as you can see that is.
âIs that so? I was just letting off steam and defending myself.â
âDid you enjoy it?â His tone changed.
âOf course, who doesnât like putting arrogant thugs in their place?â
âYea? Is that why you humiliated Chris that day?â
Letting out a chuckle you rubbed the back of your neck. âGuilty. It was fun.â
âI noticed.â Jacob leaned back on the bench, his eyes never leaving your figure. âAre you bored?â Jacob watched you tilt your head in confusion. âTo me it looks like you stopped trying after Chris. Youâre distracted.â Â
You stretched your arms for a moment. âWas it obvious?â You asked sheepishly.
Jacobâs turn to put out a chuckle. âNah, not to most. But I noticed, and so did Chris.â
âIs that why he wonât stop glaring? I swear he has it out for me!â You slouched.
âWhereâd you learn to fight like that?â His tone changed.
There we go. The small talk was getting really tiresome, was this the question he wanted to get to?
âThe streets.â Regardless of what he meant with his questions, you did learn to fight on the streets. You didnât really have a mentor to teach you, you learned it as you went, from hands-on to watching, you picked it up to survive. Meeting Miguel until much later did you refine your skills but you started alone.
âThe streets huh.â Jacob pondered your response for a bit, causing you to straighten up and lean back on the bench. âWas it fun?â
Without hesitation, you nodded. âTons. Never a dull moment. I grew up and learned.â Relaxing your posture, you gave him a smile. âI got my ass beat a bunch, but I learned real fast. And I paid them back tenfold.â
Jacob stood up and ruffled your hair. âYa plan on fighting forever? Why not take it to the next level? I say youâre prepared. Youâll make good money. Even better than now.â
Moving his hand away you got up. âI donât think it's for me. Besides, I am only passing by. I donât have a reason to continue, just making enough to enjoy the little things in life.â
âNot your thing?â Jacob started walking, and you followed beside him. â Leaving Gotham, where do you plan to go then?â
With slight hesitation you answered giving a melancholy look. âHome.â
âHome.â He repeated, âYou far from home?â Jacob asked, looking ahead as you both came closer to the ring.
âVery far.â Cracking your knuckles you chuckled. âBut Iâll get there soon. Iâm just biding my time right now.â
âI see.â Jacobâs tone became lighter, his mood changed from serious to cocky, placing his hand on your shoulder. âListen kid, this guy you're facing hasnât lost a single fight in three years. He plays dirty and most of the money is against you. Your play?â
âI also don't play fair.â You crack your knuckles.
âAtta kid, play around for a bit, give the audience a good show.â
âIâm not a kidâŚâ
You heard cheers for blood as you entered the ring.
Pushing the memories back, you strengthen your resolve.
Pulling your mask up and taking out your burner phone from the bag you began to dial the number you memorized since it was given to you by the owner of the number. Jacobâs number.
The ringing seemed to get louder as it went on until the third ring and a voice picked up. âHey there Tink. To what do I owe your surprise call.â It seems he was expecting to hear from you despite you being there earlier.
âIâve got questions.â Lifting your mask above your nose so that your voice is heard.
âI see you mustâve opened your gift.â You can practically envision the grin he has plastered on his face.
Gift? Is that what heâs disguising it as? âWhatâs the catch?â
You could hear him chuckle on the receiver. âMost people would ask âwhy?â but not you. No, never you. Youâre so different from what I expect. You donât look a gift horse in the mouth.â
âIâm not âmost peopleâ.â Eyes narrowed, ignoring his tangent. âYou said it was a gift, but I highly doubt that.â
âWhatâs got you all tense like that?â It was like he was mocking you. âNo big bad Bat is coming for you, so you can relax.â
âI told you before, Iâm from the streets, and in Gotham, nothing is given for free. I want nothing to do with the bats, just wanna go home.â
âYouâre so paranoid.â Jacob ran his fingers through his hair, eyes narrowing. âThough, you arenât wrong. Gotham isnât a place where kindness is given for free. You see, my little âgiftâ is an incentive of sorts.â
I fucking knew it. âUh Huh. What sort of incentive?â You deadpanned. âWhat required you to make this for me?â You just wanted to confirm, thatâs all. Put your mind at ease if that was possible with the stress and anxiety your situation has caused thus far. âI never asked for this. I never asked for anything.â
âYou see, you told me youâre far from home,â A pit formed in your stomach. âAnd I had this made to⌠help you out. To get home.â This wasnât even close to what you meant when you gave him that answer. The ugly feeling inside you kept growing, till it clogged your throat- like a bitter pill to swallow.
âThat makes no sense! You gave me this for a reason.â You stress. Why? Was omitted from your response.
âYes. I did. You see, I wanted to show you what I can do for you.â His answer didnât satiate the ever growing turmoil of anxiety.
Why? What did I do to catch his attention?
Your silence let him continue. âYou said you were just âpassing the timeâ, figured Iâd give you something to make traveling easier and passing time faster. You can use it to âgo homeâ, or, if you canât,â you body broke into cold sweat at his next words. âYou can use it to come with me. I can give you a new home, and you can pass all the time you want.â
What? What bullshit is this??? You knew for a fact this man was not going to let you go easily or at all. If he catches you, heâd clip your wings. He seems like the type to do so. Bastard⌠This was to keep me in check.
âI already have a home.â Your teeth clenched. âI told you that. I am going home, just not yours.â
You could hear him chuckle, his tone arrogant, like he didnât believe a word youâre saying. âAlright, I only wanted to express my gratitude for all the wins you got under my name. Itâs a real shame. I want to take you to greater heights.â
After contemplation, and for the plot, you asked. â...Take me where?â
âAbroad, in Spain. That's where the big leagues are. And, your new home, should you choose to come.â with me was left unsaid.
âI appreciate the offer, I really do (not). But I just want to go home.â Deciding to end it there, you throw any and every useless feeling out in order to concentrate. âThis isnât for me.â
âItâs a shame.â He repeated, confusing you for a moment. âI really do like you kid, and Iâm gonna miss your jabs. Alright then, you have fun.â It seems he gave in. âEnjoy yourself.â
A cold chill engulfed your body, it was like this wasnât over for him â...Yea, I will, thank you. Good-bye.â Ending the call you sighed in frustration. You didnât believe him for a second. You knew this man wasnât going to let you go. And you wouldnât let him get away either.Â
Placing your mask back down and securing it in place, you steel your nerves. âTime to lock in.â
-
Duke felt his phone vibrate.
Upon opening up the messaging app, his body froze. There was a clip of a familiar civilian he had his eyes on, coming out of a bar, a very familiar bar. His chest clenched at the thought that she was involved.Â
He had to get to the bottom of this, he needed to confirm this with his own eyes.
[Oracle: Thereâs more. Sheâs been in and out for the past few days. Think sheâs involved?]
Duke clenched the hand that wasnât holding the phone.
[Signal: We donât know that. What else do you have? Name?]
[Oracle: Relax Romeo. Damian and Jon ran into her not too long ago. After that she went to a library, then no dice, but Iâm still looking. She doesnât appear in any other cameras. There barely is any surveillance out there in the Narrows.]
[Signal: Got it. Keep me updated, and thank you.]
[Oracle: (:]
Duke placed his phone away as he calmed his thoughts. His mind recalling the first time he met the civilian. When he was told by Barbara that she scanned your face for identification, there was nothing, zip, zich, zero, nothing. Not even a resemblance in this world of seven billion people. Itâs like you were one of a kind, unique, and rare. He remembered staring at your bare face, the one without the black mask that covered your mouth and nose, he engraved the shape of your eyes, nose, lips, and face to memory. Something in him just wouldnât let him forget, not that he wanted to either.
You were an enigma, like an anomaly per say. This obsession on finding you only grew as he watched the video of you getting escorted into a bar by a familiar suspect. Duke came up with a couple of conclusions for this turn of event.
Based on your actions, checking into a motel with no name(is suspicious in of itself), and the fact that you go to shelters as well, it's obvious you have no place to call home, nowhere to go, meaning youâre a runaway escaping someone/something.
Finding out that youâre associated with a (confirmed) suspect, puts him on edge. Did you join voluntarily, or did you have no choice. After all, youâre just trying to survive.
Well, it seems heâs going to find out soon enough. Because heâs looking for another civilian associated with that bar, and they just so happened to be spotted within his vicinity. Heâs getting closer to the truth, he knows it, he just has to lock in.
Revving his bike, he locks in, and drives away.Â
-
Bruce didnât know where things went wrong. But then again, he should have expected things to never go smoothly, especially in his city, in Gotham. Despite the crime rates and the reputation it has, he still loves his city, and he wants to change it for the better. He doesnât want anyone to suffer the way he did, to turn out as broken as he became. He wants the city to prosper for the better, and heâs doing everything he can for that goal.Â
And yet, an outsider vigilante has suddenly popped up in his city. A meta vigilante of all things. Bruce canât help but feel exhausted. He doesnât know their game, or why they are here, in his city. Are they here to cause trouble? Are they here to ruin the carefully monitored city he poured his blood, sweat, and vitality in, fighting to keep the peace in his beloved city? He wonât allow this stranger, this nobody to inflict harm, to infect, and to change Gotham. Heâs going to chase this unwanted presence, this anomaly down, and get rid of it if it poses a hindrance. He canât allow unchecked power to roam Gotham. Itâs already fragile as it is, and he canât afford any mistakes, and possible hiccups.Â
But in order to do so, he needs to find out exactly who is in his city, after he rescues the children that are missing. His priority right now is the children, those poor helpless children, just like he once was. He canât help but get anxious as days go by when another name is printed and posted throughout the city walls. But the pieces are coming together, slowly but surely. The outsider is running on borrowed time. And heâll use any means at his disposal to uncover the rat roaming around.
Now, regarding the terrible news he was just told, he quickened his strides inside the police station.Â
When he left Jim on the roof earlier, he was making his way towards where Sebastian was being held, only to receive a distress call from Jim informing him that the very same person they were going to meet, is dead.
âI donât know how this happened!â Jim exclaimed, stress evident on his face, posture defeated. âI was told he hung himself, so I came quickly, he was already pronounce deceased by the time I got here.â
Bruce, or Batman, tightened his jaw in anger. Of course the criminal with crucial intel who was cowardly throwing bits and pieces of it in order to keep his life is killed.Â
Thatâs right, killed not suicide. No, Sebastian was desperate to live, thatâs why he took a plea deal, his protection in prison, in exchange for information. This was deliberate, intentional, too perfect for it to be a self exit. There are more rats here in his city than he anticipated.Â
Batman locked in when he went to the monitor room (where Tim is currently at), where he can see all the surveillance footage, from who entered to who left, to who was on guard. The death looked fresh, around twenty minutes from when he entered. Jim followed while Tim clocked in the folder in Jimâs hand.
He noticed crease marks from a tight grip, probably from stress, Tim asks about it.
âOh!â Jim quickly handed the folder to Tim, knowing Bruce would keep an ear out while he searched the cameras. âIt was left under the bat signal, right after you left.âÂ
Bruce tensed but kept focused on the screens in front of him.Â
âDo you think it's the same person?â Tim bit the bullet and asked as he flipped from page to page.
âYes.â Jim sighed, his fatigue showing through his face and posture. âI only had two sheets with twelve names, three missing kids, four with pictures. Here is a list of seventeen missing teens and five runaways. Only two have been sighted roaming around. But they run at the approach of officers.â
Tim paused on page three, a blurry picture of a familiar looking face appeared. Walking out of a shelter in the Narrows. This slight movement caught Bruceâs attention.
âSomeone familiar?â Bruce made sure to make a copy of the footage, but no dice. The cameras paused and looped for some time. Enough for a person, maybe more to slip in and out. The issue is, is it one person, or more? Was someone here messing with the cameras or was it a single mole who disrupted the surveillance as they walked in?
Tim nodded, eyes scanning every feature, âThis one civilian looks familiar. No identification other than their stage name. âNadaâ.â Despite the blurry picture, and the obvious black medical face mask, it was their eyes that caught his attention at first. The shape of their face was next, and that was all he could identify. No gender, they wore an oversized sweatshirt, but they appear pretty androgynous looking.Â
Jim ran his hair with his hand. âI also got news for you Batman.â
Bruce placed his hard drive inside his utility belt, Tim snaps out of his trance and hands the papers towards him. Scanning each page his jaw tightens. These kids are out there somewhere, alone and afraid, but Bruce promises to find them. To bring them home. Batman promises to find them.Â
âI got a notification earlier.â Jim pauses, recalling the suspicious warning and then the call. âAnd right after that, a call.â
Timâs eyes widened. This is confirmation! The meta was close! He has to give this information to Barbara pronto. Taking out his phone, his fingers tapping the screen vigorously.Â
Jim shook his head. âWhen I handed you everything, I went into my office. The pop-up screen had a message, âThey know. Scatterâ was written. When I clicked my screen, it vanished. Just as I was about to call my daughter, they called.â
Bruceâs eyes narrowed at the information. âBlocked number?â
Jim nodded. âPrivate.â
Tim interjected, placing his phone away once he was done taking pictures. âWhat did they say?â
âThey sent me that message, and then, just like the other times, reported Jacob Jones, the manager of a bar. âRisk of fleeingâ they said.â Jim felt an immense stress and exhaustion overcome him. âTonight. And that there is an illegal fighting ring behind the bar. In that folder, the last sheet is associates and criminals. When they told me the files were under the signal, I ran. I only got to see a blurry figure, they looked like they were flying- no thatâs not it. Gliding? They were far, and their suit fading, as if camouflaging with its surroundings. I couldnât see them that well. Sorry.â
Batman took in the information, but he was deadly quiet. His mind racing with thoughts and theories. âTim.â
Tim straightens his posture. âYea?â
âGo back and take this with you.â Bruce handed him the files, and the usb drive that he received from Jim earlier.
Tim pockets the drive and clutches onto the papers, knowing already what Bru-Batman wants from him. âIâll drop it with Oracle and join the search.â
Bruce acknowledged with a nod and turned back to the cameras. âJim.â
âI understand,â Jim replied. They were going to catch the mole. âIâm ready.â
Tim quickly left, things were getting serious. âOracle, did you get that.â
âAll of it. Iâm searching the area, in case they landed nearby. Seems our âfriendâ has the same interests as ours. For now.â
âI also got a list.â
âI saw, thanks, this will help tremendously.â
-
âWhat the fuck.â It seems that you canât catch a break.Â
Once you put on the mask, you stealthy made your way towards the bar, making sure you were out of sight and away from the ground. You thanked god you are able to camouflage yourself, making sneaking in so much easier.Â
This was risky for you because despite the benefits, you also donât always rely on it as often as you would like. The reason was simple, nothing major or out of this world really, it was simply the fact that when you lost everything, you were often then not out fighting/training, or tinkering with gadgets to keep you preoccupied. A coping mechanism if you will.
Thus resulting in negating your abilities that didnât involve dodging and hitting.
Regardless, here you are, sneaking in a very suspiciously quiet bar (it seems to be empty), what happened to the customers? Why does the sign say closed? Just what happened after you left here hours ago?
Making a b-line towards Jacobâs office, it was clean, too clean and neat. A pit formed into your stomach.Â
âThey packed upâŚâ Quickly making your way towards semi open draws and pulling out files, papers, looking around for any important documents, checking walls and desks for anything. Anything at all- until you came to the conclusion that there was nothing. Nothing at all.
âNo no no no! They couldnât have gone away! No!â Despite the chaos in your mind, you took a deep breath and calmed down.
You couldnât afford to panic, you had to make sure you were thorough. Eyes finally landing on a closed laptop that was sitting neatly on a pristine desk you opened it to find a locked account. You scoffed. There were no paper trails in this office. But this computer might and can be a whole different story. âIâll work my magic.â
Cracking your neck, you began the process of bypassing the password locked account. Keeping an ear out despite the lack of people in the bar, you still wanted to be safe, to make sure no one would get the drop on you.Â
After a few attempts and three minutes go by, you unlock the account, finding it clean of anything. Of course, there is nothing on it, but thatâs only if you arenât looking. Messing with the settings and restoring the latest versions it was before it was cleaned out, you began to look at the contacts syncing with this laptop.
Pulling up the security cameras, to work your magic, come to find out they arenât even recording, everything is wiped. Thatâs not a good sign at all.
Reading a few messages from betters during ring fights to stocks and merchandise, to voicemails to money laundering and much more, you scrolled down towards a specific group chat.
This chat was synced to Jacobâs phone, âMercaderiaâ was the name. âLame.â you mumbled.Â
Clicking on the group chat name, your body froze, eyes widened at the information in front of you.
Here on this group chat, with over one hundred members, were a list. Not just any list. No. This was a familiar list. A neat, organized, and detailed list.
Here contained pictures, and stats on teenagers, young adults, and fucking children. All with their name and abilities, and a price. Some even had remarks of their wins and losses.
Scrolling down, watching the faces and names being crossed out, dead, and some with specific training in the art of âentertainmentâ. You felt yourself become sick. The depravity of all this is sickening, how can people enjoy this?! You didnât expect this!
This is human traffickingâŚÂ
Ding!
Your eyes caught a notification for the group chat.
Clicking on the notification of said group chat you didnât think you could feel any worse.
Scrolling down on the ârecommendedâ list, a new popup showed, and it was your face, with no mask, and a start bidding price. The words next to your picture, âStreet rat with skills in fighting, quick on her feet, and highly adaptable. No ties, alone. Needs to be trained. Retrieval pending.â
âTheyâre looking for meâŚâ after the sudden realization, your spider-sense started to buzz inside your head as you heard trained, quiet footsteps, making their way in your direction.
Glancing at the display of cameras, the person standing behind the door was none other than the person you came in contact with earlier.
You are starting to feel like your presence here was nothing but a cruel joke to you.
As the door knob turned, and opened, you took a deep quiet breath and closed your eyes.
Prev; Next;
Sorry. I legit have no excuse for not writing. I just stopped.
It seems that the pieces are slowly coming together--THANK GOD I swear I almost gave up...
Anyways, I have a plot for this but not a complete one, so I will have to write where I want the story to go. I only have the ending of THIS arc but no clue how to get there-- oh well. I'll figure this out.
Smoll dose of Miguel next chap- whenever that is
Web Bound Secret Corner!
Spider-Woman's suit has a built in voice changer that she can turn use.
Spider-Woman's priority was just getting Jacob (and associates) arrested.
Spider-Woman's hobby was singing, hasn't sung since the incident with Peter.
Spider-Woman is terrified running into Batman.
Spider-Woman only has small tidbit knowledge of the DCU
Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 5 - No Time to Waste
Itâs been a week and a half since the last power surge incident and so far everything was quiet. Too quiet for Batmanâs liking. It definitely increased his paranoia which in turn causes him to be extra moody. The culprit? Whoever was behind the power surge in the Narrows. They became an anomaly to Gotham. Unwanted, an eyesore in the eyes of Batman.
And the issue is, there hasnât been any news at all. No sightings, no suspects, nothing. Bruce felt challenged in a way. Something is in Gotham, living in his city and he feels like heâs still so far from discovering who or what it is. For the world's greatest detective is having a hard time solving this case. How frustrating.
With no news of another quantum breach, big or small, nothing. Itâs frustrating. Whatâs even more of a headache about this unsolved case, is another thing that has come to his attention- thanks Jim.
Bruce started hearing more reports of a new âvigilanteâ. But there are no pictures, no camera footage, no evidence, just testimonies, occasional sightings and witnesses. Nothing concrete, nothing solid, just no proof. So frustrating.
And there is a pattern.
What he does know is that they are always quick and efficient, never staying too long, leaving once or before the police arrive, and itâs always low level crooks like muggers or thiefs. Respectful and polite (from those they saved) and they mostly keep to the shadows of the night.
Whoever this new problem is, is trying to stay hidden and Batman doesnât like that at all. Not. One. Bit.Â
Despite the Narrows being Dukeâs territory, he is just one person who patrols in the daytime, so some of his sons and daughter help patrol at night. But it seems this newcomer has incredible luck and scurries off everytime they are even close to their location.
But this doesnât mean Batman will just let it go, oh no. Of course not silly, heâs going to find this new vigilante and see what they are about. Heâs going to evaluate them, judge them, and all it takes is one mess up. Just one and he will make sure they are locked up in Arkham.
A bit extreme, possibly. But he will take no chances, not when it comes to the safety of his city. Gotham is his to protect and defend, heâs keeping many eyes out for this intruder. Watch your back.
âSorry to interrupt your brooding hour B, but I have something I think you want to know. Also you have a message from Commissioner Gordon.â A new voice spoke through his comms.
âOn my way.â He replied.
âNo, I think itâs best you go with-â
âI am fully capable of handling it myself just fine. I donât require fatherâs assistance.â a third voice snapped. âIâm here with Kent, weâre fine Drake.â And the line was turned off.
âExplain.â Batman demanded.
âSo you seeâŚâ
-
After the failed attempt at contacting Miguel, you spent a couple of all nighters in advancing your beacon. This time, it would require even more energy but now it wonât cause a potential blackout. But it will notify the bats of your location like last time.
You know you have to be extra fucking careful this time. You might have gotten lucky those days ago in not getting caught, but you know your luck is shit anyways and Batman is one paranoid mother fucker. Him and his wards.
You have to be very cautious in where you go and how you will do this. This new connector is a bit more sturdier than the lightweight one you made before, but this time it also wonât require you to be stuck in one place. Actually, your signal will ping in more than one location. It will bounce off the cell towers and throw a fake location.Â
This will certainly tip the scales to your favor in avoidance of detection. Now, you wonât have to rely on your (shit) spider luck!Â
All you have to do is to connect it to a phone or computer, and connect that to any service in the area and manually set it off- which you can easily hack. There is only one tiny itty bitty problem. Guessed it yet? No? Well itâs simple, the only problem is- YOU DONâT HAVE A PHONE.
You could theoretically use the library computer but with civilians around you is a big major no. Youâre also pretty sure the library closes at like 8 or something.
No worries. You have a solution for this baby problem. Is it build one yourself? Pfft- fuck no. You donât have time to build a phone and even less for a computer, you still have to tweak your god damn watch for fuck sake. So, youâre just going to buy one.
And with what money- I hear you ask. Simple. Youâre going to make some. Time to become Spider-woman again.
Only until you have enough for a decent phone- you said. Itâll be easy- you said. Until you were proven wrong.
You spent two days hunting and defeating crooks, webbing the worst ones up, while the not so bad but are making shitty choices were let go (with the promise of hunting them down should they go back to doing bad stuff). Some advice here and there, pickpocketing criminalâs money, you know, the usual shabang.
Canât forget youâre avoiding all cameras so as to not give yourself away. Though you almost got caught by the police once, haha. You never stick around long enough to get spotted by the bats or the cops.
Until one night, dressed as a normal civilian, you were coming back from a shelter, turning a corner and you were immediately surrounded by a group of thugs wanting to rob you. You literally have nothing, so the only thing they would be robbing is your backpack with extra clothes and your suit. And maybe like two granola bars.
You tried to charm your way out of this situation because first of all, youre fucking tired, two, you donât have time for baby shit, and three, youâre about to start tweaking. Of course the five men didnât take your sarcastic remarks lightly and decided that their knives would do the talking.
So you beat them up. All five of them. 60 seconds was all it took. So to recompense wasting a minute of your time, you loot their cash discreetly.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) a well dressed man popped out of nowhere, getting close to you and you warned him you would break his wrist if he touched you- he still came but didnât touch you. Holding out a black card he presented it to your face.
âYou fight well, kid. If you want to make money fast,real money, call me and go here.â
âUm, Iâm not a k-â
âYouâll make hundreds.â He cut you off. Rude. âAnd if you impress the boss like you did me, you can make more.â
Spider luck?
Oh well that got your attention. Eyes narrowed. âFast money, how?â
âDid no one ever teach ya about âstranger dangerâ? Itâs a fight club, if you will. A tournament if youâre interested.â
Spider luck.
After pondering it for a quick second, here you are, getting a card with a free invite to a ring, probably filled with big, crazy, and most likely wanted criminals, and you get paid to beat them up? Sign me the fuck up. âIâm very interested.â you nod.
The man gave a crooked smile. âPerfect. Iâll see you tomorrow, kid.â
âIâm not-â The man walked away and inside a white limo car. Fuck you.
So you went the next day. Making sure you wore your normal clothes, just sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and your face mask, you called the guy.
Meeting him was uninteresting, conversations were nothing exciting, just asking you your fighting style, can you take on a big guy, and whatnot.Â
Upon entering the place (behind a well known bar) you were led to a ring, two fighters going at it. You watched how one was clearly more experienced than the other, while the other guy was battered and bleeding but still fighting. Blood spraying everywhere with every hit until he hit the ground cold.
It certainly is a sight.
It was that very day that you had your very first fight.
Stepping into the ring with no prep, no bandages, no helmet, nothing, this was a raw fight through and through, you were immediately booed and laughed at. Tough crowd.
Of course you were not going against a stereotypical big muscular guy that looks like he could bench press a tank. No, in fact you were against a young military deserter as your first opponent. Scars and all. Across his neck laid an identification tag (also known as dog tag). Christopher Conner.
The man in front of you sneered, laughing at you. âNo way they sent me a kid. I will break all your bones. Donât start crying too soon.â he cooed.
He taunted you and the crowd loved it. You, on the other hand, were pretty bored and unimpressed.Â
âIâm not a kidâŚâ you huffed behind your face mask.
What was able to be seen on your face must have told him that because he didnât like being ignored.Â
So he swung, a clear hit to be a knock out. You swerve.
This time he kicked, you parried.
He did not like that. Soon a game ensued. Hit attacking and you either blocking or dodging. You didnât even need your spider sense, you got this in the bag, honestly this was quite sad. The crowd went from booing you to insulting Christopher.
âWhat the fuck man?!â
âHit the kid!â
âMy moneyâs riding on you dickface!â
âDonât you dare lose motherfucker, or Iâll shoot you!â
It seems their insults were getting to the man. You on the other hand kinda started to feel bad.
âStand still you fucker!â Christopher growled, throwing punches.
You scoffed, âMy aunt throws faster punches than you Chris.â You can almost taste the bloodlust seeping from his pores. âHey man, it's been three minutes, surely you can end this, right?â
Chrisâs jaw clenched in anger. He was about to explode. A voice called out your name.
âNada! Stop wasting time and finish it kid. Or you wonât get paid.â What? What a scam! Youâre trying to entertain yourself too yâknow, guess this will be a way to relieve stress.
Facing the military man you didnât give him a second to process when you blew him a kiss and then a fist made contact with his chin, effectively knocking him out the second his back hit the ring walls. âIâm not a kid.â
The crowd was silent before chaos broke. Half the crowd booed and threatened the fallen man, while the other half started cheering.
With how unsatisfied most people were, you had to fight three more times. Each time, you won, with no scratches on you (you did pretend to get hit at times for realism). Each victory secures you cheers and hype.
By the end of your last fight, it was dark out and you were walked off by the same man that brought you here. âGood job kid. I know you were the right call.â
âIâm not-â A thick envelope was thrown. Catching it, you opened it up to find money, lots of money. âWoah.â
The man in the suit chuckled. âLike it? You can make more the more you win.â
Still entrance by the stack of green you nodded. âSame time tomorrow?â
âSame time.â The man walked off and you stared at the money.
âBooyah baby!â
You bought a phone the next morning.
And so itâs been five days since then. You werenât in a desperate need for money anymore, so you cut your fights down from five to two a day. You still needed time to continue fixing your beacon. Spider-woman sightings have also significantly decreased the more you noticed the increase in security.
You were not taking any chances.
Walking towards the somewhat empty bar, you greeted the bouncer and headed inside to an âemployees onlyâ door to meet the guy in the suit. He did tell you his name, but you call him âSuitâ in your head regardless.Â
âHey there Nada,â He hears a sigh from behind the mask. âListen, kid, youâre one of my best fighters, but I need you to lay low for a while. Here.â
Catching a burner phone you tilt your head for an explanation, pocketing it. âCops?â
âWorse.â he sighs, slicking his hair back. âBats.â
Fucking spider luck.
Like a bucket of ice and cold water was dumped on you, blood turning cold. You froze in terror. You should have guessed that a hidden fighting ring would not be kept hidden for long. The criminals that you fought and were downright nasty, you made sure they were caught outside and far away from this location.Â
And it was random from a list you composed. Enough to make sure you werenât a suspect. But fuck now you have to erase your presense here. Youâre a nobody, Nada, nothing. Guess it really is time to lay lower than low, like a ghost. âI wonât come back then.â Voice serious and cold.
He laughed, pulling out an envelope from his suit's inner pocket. âSâthat so?â Handing it out for you to take, his eyes burn into yours. âThen Iâll just have ta hunt you down, kid.â
Taking the envelope (it felt thicker and heavier than usual) and placing it in your pocket you chuckled, cold, fake, calculating. âTry. Iâm good at hiding.â Walking away, hands in pocket, feeling both the envelope and the burner phone, turning your body to avoid bumping into a familiar guy speed walking in. âIâm not a kidâŚâ you mumbled to yourself.
You didnât bother glancing at the man you dubbed âSuitâ, real name Jacob Sullivan Jones. It seems itâs time for JSJ to have a run in with the Gotham City Police Department.Â
It is truly fortunate that Jacob doesnât know where you're staying. Although he might not know about the warehouse inside the junkyard, he does know you are not a resident with no permanent home. He had stalked you for a bit after the first meeting (the bouncer was so easy to spot really), believing youâre homeless, alone, and a nobody (someone who nobody would miss or look for). Youâre using that (somewhat of a mis)information to your advantage.
Leaving the desolate bar, thoughts consumed by the written list of criminals you drafted and plan to anonymously give it to the GCPD. How you got the other criminals caught was simple, you always used a payphone and gave anonymous tips. That wonât work here. At least not fully. Knowing the corruption, maybe you should hand it to the one of the cops you know isnât corrupt.
Now, do you hack the police and email it? Print it/fax it and send it? Or hand it directly but as spider-woman? Well for starters, the second option is garbage because if the right person doesnât see it first, it will just get covered up. Hacking into the GCPD and emailing it directly doesnât sound like a bad idea, the only issue is, if they decided to forward that information to the bats, youâre fucked because then you know theyâll dig in and somehow find out about you.
It seems like going in as Spider-woman is the best bet, but then again, the bats are real close, too close for comfort. Should you take the risk? But if you donât turn these criminals in, it will stay in your consciousness of letting innocents down. Guess you have to suck it up and do it then.
âThis sucksâ you mumbled, deep in thought.Â
Suddenly you felt your body freeze. Feeling your spider sense go haywire, you looked up and hard swerved to the side, avoiding bumping into a stranger.
It seemed that your sudden change in direction caught the strangerâs attention and the person next to him, both heads snapped towards you.
Hands out of pocket awkwardly waving in embarrassment. âIâm so sorry!â Taking a look at the one you almost bumped into, he is tall, with black hair and vibrant blue eyes.
Taking note of your embarrassment the stranger chuckles, looking into your eyes, âNo worries! Nice reflexes though!â
The strangerâs partner scowled in your direction and you could feel his eyes burning you alive. âWatch where you walk, you buffoon.â Venom.
âDonât be rude, Dame.â
âDonât call me that. We donât have time for this tomfoolery.â
Alrighty then, guess itâs time to fuck off. âYes, thank you- again, so sorry.â You donât even spare the other guy a glance, quickly scurrying off. Your spider sense hasnât shut off and you donât like where this is going. âGood bye.â
âHey wait a minute!â
âWhat are you doing Kent? Our priority is there.â
Not turning back, you quickened to a brisk walk away from this nauseating area. This whole goddamn experience is so nauseating. You just wanted to go home. Was that soooooo much to ask? Regardless, you did not want to know what those strangers wanted, and you were taught âstranger dangerâ and it certainly applied here.
After a certain distance later, your senses dulled into a small buzz as you turned a corner and entered the public library. Taking your usual empty seat, you let out a deep sigh. This was what you were used to since coming into this world. Since being yoinked from another dimension and plopped in this universe, your senses never really shut off. It was like everything in this world was a danger, and it only spiked when reacting to blood lust, danger of a certain radius, and people who are incredibly strong.Â
Recalling that one stranger, who looked too innocent enough for it to be bloodlust, just that their presence caught you so off guard. But your senses screamed at you, and it terrified you to an extent. This is why you can never really relax being here, even when youâre alone in the warehouse, you just feel so out of place, and in danger constantly. It was beginning to eat you up honestly.
You miss your innocent youthful days. God you sound old. But you really do miss having a home to go back to. A home where once you step inside, itâs warm, and two people would always greet you like a warm embrace.
Now itâs cold and desolate, barely anything inside, empty and lonely.
But now, you canât even go there anymore. Even if it was painful to live in the same home that had more members, then reduced to just you, it was still home.Â
You canât even go home.
Remembering the words Jacob Sullivan Jones spoke to you earlier, you fish out the envelope. Taking note of the weight, it was decided to open it and find more than usual.
Picking up a small zip-lock bag, your eyes widened. It was an ID, an ID and a passport. Just what the fuck was Jacob going to do with giving you this? Why did he make this for you? What were his plans? No, you canât think about that. This is a blessing for sure, and youâll take it- but, you have to put Jacob in prison. Now.
This is a gift and you know that with criminals, all gifts are never for free. This is a âyou owe meâ gift. âFuck, this sucks.â You just want a moment of peace.
Think, you have to think. Now you have an identification, but, you donât know if youâre in the system, since once again, incase you forgot, you donât fucking exist here. Whatever Jacob was thinking, you definitely donât want a part of it. Youâre going to put a stop to this now.
Though, recalling the two strangers earlier, you donât bother with the rude one of the two, more focused on the one with blue eyes. Something about him just stuck out to you. He looked vaguely familiar.
Okay, letâs take this from the top. You felt a strong sense of precaution, thus causing your spider sense to alert you. Your sense only went away when you were a considerable distance away from those two, so you know itâs about the strangers. Bases covered, perfect. Whatâs next?
 You only really focused on the one who you almost touched, so letâs continue from there. He is tall, a welldefine body, black hair, and vibrant blue eyes. Thatâs all you remember seeing now for what you heard. His friend/partner/acquaintance/fellow party member said âKentâ, this could be his name or surname but the name âKentâ makes your throat clogged. You only know of another Kent and itâs a superhero.
It couldnât beâŚright?Â
Turning the computer on, you started typing away, fingers trembling, heart thumping loudly, head spinning, and body sweating. Please, please, please, be wrong. You prayed.
The window search lands on a somewhat recent news. Superman and Superboy save hundreds during bridge collapse! By Lois Lane Kent.
In the photo, on the front page was a scene, both Superman and Superboy. The older one was holding a piece of a bridge while the other younger one was using his heat vision. This was Supermanâs son. And you came into contact with him.
You were royally fucking screwed.
Fuck- fuck! No, no nono!Â
All the anxiety you tried to lock away came like a tsunami. You were reminded of how small you are in this world. How easy it is to find trouble even without looking. You wanted no part in this world but it seems the gods wanted to fuck you over and over again.Â
And, as much as you wanted to curse out the Spot for yeeting you far faaaaaaar from your universe, you only blame yourself for latching onto him and getting lost on the way to his next destination.
God this sucks! You wanted to curl up and cry, but you canât. Youâre a big girl and so, youâll deal with this fuckery later. After all, your best trait was putting your issues to the side and focusing on the bigger picture. This- meeting Supermanâs son can wait. After all, you havenât run into any bats besides Signal- yes you researched him when you had free time (you only knew of him but not really who he was), so for now, your spider luck has been blessing you thus far.
You need to focus on the bigger picture, getting Jacob and the other criminals caught.
Getting to work, you begin to type away your list that you memorized, the location of the bar, the owner of the bar was still a mystery but the one who runs it is Jacob, schedule of the bouncer shifts, and the names and alias of those who you encountered as well as the situation of misguided teens. You type it all, making sure to keep your real and fake identity out, you did put in your alias Nada, as a picked up street kid. Enough for it to be a âmisguidedâ teen situation but not enough to catch someoneâs attention unless they were looking for it.
Now that you know you ran into Clark Kentâs son (a deduction), you know you canât risk encountering him as spider-woman. Knowing that Superman can (somehow) memorize and identify someone based on their heart beat or whatever, so fuck no are you going to parade as spider-woman any time soon.
You swear to god that you will do everything you can to avoid meeting them in both their civilian personas and alter egos.
Calming yourself, you get ready to hack the GCPD, and leave a message.
âThey know. Scatter.âÂ
It hits you. The epiphany of why Jacob had an ID and passport made for you. They were moving locations. Abandoning fort, and taking anyone who they wanted. Basically a trafficking ring for those who werenât onboard, and a new opportunity for those who they saw potential in.Â
Shit, you should have stopped this when Jacob found you, but you didnât know anything then. Now it could be too late. But Jacob did say to lay low, so theyâre mostly biding their time. Probably erasing, hiding, and misplacing real and fake evidence.
They need to get exposed now, âstrike while the iron is hotâ as the saying goes.Â
It seems like itâs time to meet the commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, James âJimâ Gordon, as Spider-woman. How funâŚÂ
Way to contratic your fucking promise so soon. Well, at least itâs a civilian and not a hero/vigilante. âThis fucking sucks.â
-
Damian scoffed when Tim wanted to force his father the Batman into his lead. Itâs not that he doesnât want his father, itâs just this is an undercover sort of situation. He got a lead when he went to interrogate a pathetic military criminal. He can handle this mission on his own.
âNo, I think itâs best you go with-â
âI am fully capable of handling it myself just fine. I donât require fatherâs assistance.â Damian heard Jon chuckle, most likely overhearing this conversation with his super hearing. What a nuisance. Â âIâm here with Kent, weâre fine Drake.â And the line was turned off.
âWell that was something. So, whatâs the plan that you didnât want Lizzie to be involved in?â
âFocus, Jon.â Damian explained their stakeout first, before going to don their costumes. Deep in their conversation, Damian caught sight of one of the suspects speed walking past them. He brings this to Jonâs attention. âIt's him, the mercenary Christopher Conner.â
âOkay, so this bar is the place. Let me check real quick.â Using his vision, Jonâs eyebrow furrows. âNext door is styled like a wrestling ring, only two exits. From here and from an office. This is the place.â
âThen weâll change and apprehend the criminal. Watch and hear what he is saying.â Jon followed Damianâs lead when someone jumped out of his way like he was burning them, causing Damian to also turn his head.
âIâm so sorry!â Despite the mask covering their mouth, their voice of this buffoon sounded androgynous, their clothes didnât help to differentiate a gender either. But what he can see were this strangerâs eyes, and he canât look away.
It seems neither can Jon as he chuckles and waves off the encounter. âNo worries! Nice reflexes though!â Jon makes it very obvious heâs staring hard.
Just what is it about this total insignificant stranger that caught Damianâs undivided attention? From what he can see, they look normal (canât really tell with that face mask though), but there is just something that has him unable to take his eyes off of them.
Jon has the same issue, and Damian narrowed his eyes in suspicion and scowls. âWatch where you walk, you buffoon.âÂ
Jon, without breaking eye contact, scolds Damina. âDonât be rude, Dame.â
Snapping out of this trance, he snaps back,â Donât call me that.â Thatâs right, they are on a mission, no distractions allowed. âWe donât have time for this tomfoolery.â
Jon looks at Damian, as he too, regains his focus, eyes staring into each other as if communicating, he nods. They can come back to this after they finish their assignment.Â
âYes, thank you- again, so sorry. Good bye.â The stranger quickly scurried off.
Caught off guard Jon impulsively extended his arm out to grab their shoulder. âHey wait a minute!âÂ
Damian acted faster, grabbing Jonâs arm. âWhat are you doing Kent? Our priority is there.â Pointing towards the bar with his head. This isnât good, theyâre getting sidetracked.
Jon didnât turn to look at Damian, no he was still staring at the stranger. âI just wanted to askâŚâ He trailed off as he strained his ears, focusing on their heartbeat, their breathing patterns, anything he could to commit to memory. âFor their name.â
Damian, too, side glanced at the retreating figure, dissecting the way they moved, their tensed shoulders, everything until they were out of sight.
Jon wanted to ask their name. Was that weird? Their situation didnât require him to ask their name. How would he even go about it, âSorry for almost bumping into you, hey can I ask for your name?â Yea, no.
âDamian, I-â Jon began before getting caught off.
âI know. Weâll deal with that later,â His eyes narrow, glancing at the bar. âFocus.â But he too was entranced. But he was much better at pushing that to the side, but he knows he wonât be able to hold it off for now. The best he can do is rein in Jonâs attention to the assignment.
Moving to a cafe nearby with a good view of the barâs entrance, they ordered some drinks. This wasnât Damians idea but heâll let Jon have his way for cooperating.
Jon nodded, getting back into focus, using his super hearing to overhear the conversation inside the bar.
His stomach tingles at the thought of asking the stranger for their name.
Hand discreetly on his year Damian spoke, âDrake, look into the time of now and send it over to me.â
âHey- wait-â Tim was caught off guard, âWhatâs this about? I thought you didnât ârequire assistanceâ for this.â He teased.Â
âI donât.â He shut the comms off. Now, back to work. âWhatâs going on Jon?â
âThis is our guy. Heâs getting assigned to deliver a package. This is serious. Heâs upset.â
Damian clicked his tongue. âTt. Follow.â
Jon tunes into the conversation again.
âThe police arenât the issue. Itâs the costumes that have been spotted close. We already lost a couple of our men to the cops.â
âAnd you donât think thatâs suspicious? We have a traitor!â
âYou donât think I donât know that, Chris? Ever since Sebastian was caught by the fucking commissioner, the others have been getting caught like flies here in Gotham. Heâs spilling, so I need to silence him.âÂ
âThe usual?â
âNo, not you this time. Weâre leaving so I need you to focus on one more thing.â
âIs it about them, the one you want to recruit?â
âYes, I want them-â a phone rang interrupting the conversation. âItâs the boss. Dismissed, Iâll send ya the rest later.â
âUnderstood sir. Iâll deliver the packages tonight.â The mercenary walked off, no longer as upset as earlier.
Jon, processing the information, becomes visibly upset. âTheyâre recruiting, and based on the conversation, it's the runaway and homeless teens that have been reported by the shelters. This is bigger than just Gotham. I think theyâre leaving, moving somewhere else.â
âLetâs follow.â Damianâs attention was caught at the mercenary leaving the bar. âThere.â
âThe guy he was talking to said he would âsend the rest laterâ, I think it will be on his phone.â Jon informed.
Damian absorbed the information. âWeâll follow and catch him red handed.â
âWhat about âthe packageâ?â Jon questioned.
âWhat about them? Iâll forward the intel to the rest. We focus on this guy. The evidence on his phone is all we need.â
âDame, I canât with good conscience leave those vulnerable kids on their own.â Stressed Jon.
âAnd weâre not. The others will take care of it.â Damian replied. âWhen we apprehend the mercenary, acquire the intel, we go after this guy while the others detain their accomplices and rescue the runaways. They will all fall tonight, Jon, so focus.â
Jonathan Kent wanted to bite back, but he knows Damian ran this plan at least three times before bringing him along. Damian is just that strategic. And he places his full trust in him, god does this leave him unsatisfied. He knows those kids are trapped somewhere and if taking this mercenary and the manager from the bar out gets them safe faster, then he will do as he is told.
Something just feels out of place, this has been too easy so far. âAlright, heâs heading north.â
Damian nods, slipping away to change into his suit.
As if connected, Damian as well feels like things have been progressing smoothly. And when it comes to crimes committed in Gotham, when things are going good, then something isnât right.
Ever since the first the GCPD have been arresting some low and decent levels of this new crime syndicate, news of some human trafficking organizations have been slowly getting uncovered as if by overnight. It started around five days ago, low level members were caught, and just two days ago, a higher member was arrested.
Ever since his father the Batman (he tagged along) interrogated him, he spilled like a waterfall. Since they have been cracking down on the case, they know this criminal organization is trying to get on the levels of Black Mask or The Penguin.
The only issue is, this was only exclusive to Gotham, now based on what Jon relay to him, this is just a small base, there are others. He refuses to let this go on any further. Not to his city, or his people. Yet, there is this itch in the back of his head. These captures were by far too easy, and these people arenât sloppy. No, they had been operating for some time, and yet they were getting caught like moths to a flame due to anonymous tips being called in. Someone out there is deliberately getting these scumbags caught.
And Batman believes it could possibly have a connection to the other pressing issue thatâs consuming his thought. There has to be a connection to the quantum disturbance from a little over a week ago. Itâs just too coincidental for it not to be.Â
Something is happening in Gotham, and he will get to the bottom of this.
-
You know, people say to plan for everything, thus making Batman a force to be reckoned with since he is the master of having contingency plans and backup plans for those backup plans. And yet, here you are, with a plan and life just wants to fuck you over and expects you to just deal with it.
No.
After coming up with spider-woman handing the commissioner Jim Gordon a list of criminals and misguided teens, you just needed to go and change. But here you are, running into a situation if you will.Â
You see, after running away from Superman's son, and a printed list folded neatly in your pocket as you head âhomeâ, you started to feel the icky sensation of being watched. Years of experience and knowing how not to tip off that you know, you head away from your place of operations and head up north.Â
Though despite not giving signs of how utterly fucking tense and anxious you are, you rationalize that it can not be any of the birds because you havenât done anything suspicious. That, and the fact that your spider sense isnât screaming at you of danger so for now, thatâs calming you down.
On the other hand, you still have no clue who is following you. It was like, thirty minutes since running into the super, and no call from the burner phone. This whole âbeing followedâ is a fucking nuisance, putting a wrench in your plans.Â
The only good thing is that, since you are technically surrounded by civilians walking about, they canât really do anything to you, unless they want to cause panic amongst the innocents. Though, that wouldnât stop someone from shooting you if they wanted you dead.Â
Still, regardless if you are wanted dead (highly unlikely) or alive (for whatever reason) you donât want to lead innocent civilians into this, so away you go! Informing Jim Gordon can wait (not it canât), youâll lose your pursuer and then catch them!
Turning a corner, into alleyways, zig zagging, you hear their footsteps pick up. Persistent.
While running away, you form theories. We crossed out the batsonas, you havenât done or got caught with anything to be on their radar afterall, it canât be a random crook because for one, you look poor too, and second, theyâre chasing you for a reason. Another idea was maybe it has something to do with Jacob. But that doesnât make much sense since you just got a burner phone.Â
Something just isnât adding up.Â
Your spider sense spiked as you turned down a corner. Despite this, you kept going straight, ready to take on whoever was going to appear in front of you.Â
With a very good distance between you and your pursuer you took this chance to discard your mask and sweatshirt (thank god for having a tank top) ontop of a parked motorcycle as you turned another corner, there stood a man near the end of the alleyway, tall and (once again) wellbuilt, with black hair just standing there, phone in hand.
Quickly you jogged towards him (he glanced your way) and grabbed his arm, startling him. âSorry, please play along!â you whispered and pulled him.
The stranger only had one second to figure out what was happening. In that split second though, he heard a plea for help. The next thing he knew, he had his free hand on the wall above your head while the other one was moved to your waist. Back towards the wall and having his big frame engulf yours, you let his arm go and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him towards your face.Â
It's only then that you take in his appearance, handsome from what you can see, and your heart dropped. âIâm being followed,â you muttered, noticing the strangerâs eyes roam your face before settling on your eyes. âI donât know who they are.â
The man in front of you nodded, kept in place as footsteps hastily turned the corner, running past the both of you. Your body tensed up watching the hooded figure stop at the end of the alleyway. Taking the chance to observe the guy, he pulled out a phone while looking both ways before exiting from your view.
While you were distracted the stranger in front of you pulled back, making your release your hold. He was quiet. âOnce again, Iâm so sorry! Thank you!â You nervously backed away, in the opposite direction your pursuer went.
He grunted, watching you walk back away. He opened his mouth to speak but the phone in his hand began to ring. He glanced down at the caller before looking back up.Â
You were already gone, picking up your sweatshirt and mask, donning them on and running away. Your heart was pounding so loud, it rang in your ear. That was Jason mother fucking Todd. You ran into the Red Hood. What the fuck was he doing in the Narrows?!
Recalling the words Jacob spoke earlier, it echoed through your head. âBats.â Thatâs right. The fucking bats are intown, and this was too close for comfort. This sucks balls!
âFocus, focus. Officer Gordon, here I come.â To the junkyard you go.
-
Jason watched the very pretty woman leave him with his thoughts. Getting pulled into caging someone against a back alley wall was not in his cards today, but with Gotham, one always has to expect the unexpected.Â
Speaking of the unexpected, he let himself momentarily get distracted recalling the bold stranger from earlier. Something about this woman, rendered him quiet. But at the same time, he took note of just how anxious she was. Tensed body, eyebrows furrowed, worried expression, scared eyes, and over all the way she held onto him while losing her pursuer. He wondered just what kind of trouble found her. It seems crime really doesnât stop during the daylight.
He committed her face to memory, and will touch upon her situation once he finished his current assignment.Â
âYou still there?â the voice spoke from his phone.
âYea, Iâm still here. Iâm in the Narrows, following the lead.â
âGood, while Damian follows the mercenary, you got the manager. Iâm seeing some suspicious moments. Turn on your commlink, Bruce is already moody as he is.â
âWhen isnât he like that.â Jason rolled his eyes as he walked back to his bike that he parked further in the alley. Before taking off, he glanced in the direction the stranger went. Her actions and the sound of her voice repeated inside his mind like an echo, burning itself in his memory.
Prev; Next;
I realized everything I wanted for this chapter did not happen. So now it's split into two parts- oops. Side note, this will not be a yandere series, though I do think they get 'possessive' sure, not yandere though. I finally know how I am going to end the Act, the issue is the in between that I struggle with.
Yay, you met Jon and Jason. Next up are Cass, Steph, Dick, and Tim the only ones left.
Web Bound Secret Corner!
Spider-Woman had an eidetic memory.
Spider-Woman does not know about the trafficked kids.
Spider-Woman did not notice Damian.
If Spider-Woman had to choose between saving a life and going home, she'd save the life.
Spider-Woman's is bad at grieving and worse with failure.
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Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 4 - Calm Before the Storm
With the beginning of a new day it was like the calm before the storm. You stood up pretty late at night, making your way to a center, luckily they didnât push for information knowing your situation is a dime a dozen around these parts.
Thank god. Though you did debate giving them your name or even a nickname, you decided against it. After all, youâre not staying here long term, you donât need to cement your name here. Not as a civilian, or as spider-woman.
You shouldnât even be here. You donât belong here.
After having a fresh meal, bless the hearts of the passionate people out there giving out kindness like air, fix yourself up, and return to your makeshift home to decompress.
The cold air nipping at your face cools you off, making you vigilant of your surroundings. Quiet, a bit too quiet. Gotham isnât known for its silence after all. Pushing the uncomfortable feelings aside, you decide to call it a night.
Making significant progress on your watch became your saving grace. The anchor of your sanity.
So the first thing you did in the morning was quickly get a nice breakfast at a shelter before dedicating your time to building the beacon until nightfall.
The voices in your head were getting restless so you even fixed up a radio you found in the piles of junk just to have a noise buzz in the background.
Days, you spent days inside this safezone you made a shelter out of. Two days to be exact. With how limited and unlimited your resources are, you had no time to waste. You had your own world to get back to, and help Miguel stop the Spot. Every day you spend here is costing you so much already. But you keep going, because you know youâre making progress.
Your routine was mostly some time in the morning, eat and wash up at any center, and go straight back to the junkyard. Snack for lunch and for dinner, back at another center. You make sure to hop around so as to not draw attention or to get familiar with anyone.
You donât belong. Pretender, faker, liar, fraud, phony, sham.
You know that better than anyone else. You feel like a fraud. This world is like a different color pallet, monochromatic to you. You canât stain this world with your presence.
Youâre getting nauseous just thinking about it.
When taking some semblance of a break, you usually take walks to calm your mind in the morning, where crime is least likely to occur. And so far, youâre right!
Though there were a few (three) instances of muggers, and a drug dealer. Though you did stop (and robbed) them, but not as spider-woman, just as normal (fake) civilian you.
Those were the oneâs just in your way or happening to you. Other than that, you have not put on the spider-woman suit to fight crime.
Why would you?
You were about to return home soon, if everything ends well. And it seems like luck is on your side since you have not caught a glimpse or heard any of the batsonas nearby. This also gave you hope.
So, how do you celebrate your near completion of your super secret science project?
Well, with ice-cream and a place of destination for your super secret science project!
So off to the library you go!
Finishing your ice-cream, you take in a breath of the polluted air of Gotham and make your way towards the library.
It was silent, and tranquil. Something you werenât able to feel for some time. No big baddies escaping Arkham, no terrorist attacks, no bombing threats, no bat encounters, nothing. Just silence, and peace. And you embrace it with everything you have.
Your constant tense body finally felt itself ease as your stress levels went down.
Entering the library and once again greeting the librarian, you made your way back to the same seat you did days ago. With a clear mind, you browse the maps and possible locations for your beacon.
Finding a couple of very good locations, you made sure to memorize the landmarks and streets so you can pick the closest one.
You were giddy! Basically shaking in excitement. Tonight is the night! You just need to tweak a few things and you would be good to go! You would finally have a signal that can ping your location! And if you have time, you will be able to message Miguel through your signal.
With excitement, you quickly left the library and made your way back to the junkyard. Days of your blood sweat and tears, will all finally pay off your desperation to go back home.
Just a couple of adjustments.
Running into the warehouse, you turned on the radio and began to work.
Hours upon hours and you finally managed to get something done. It might have looked like a babyâs school robotics science project but hey! Ya got something at least!
You made something fast, not pretty.
Now, to connect his baby to a power source that wonât reveal your location- god knows you donât need the bats up on your ass. If you trusted this world more, maybe you would have gone to Batman/Bruce Wayne first. But you know that- one, that idea is garbage at best, thatâs how you would most likely get your cute ass locked at Arkham. And two, you know for a fact that Batman doesnât trust metahumans or something- and you having enhanced powers in your fucking DNA, makes you the paranoid one.
You donât want to step on anyoneâs toes, especially the Batmanâs. It just boils down to, you donât trust him or his brood of sidekicks. That and the fact that if you could do it by yourself then you will.
And youâre already doing it. Ha! Take that universe!
This was a job for spider-woman. Changing into your suit, you hurriedly carried your mini beacon, and soared through buildings to find an appropriate source of electricity. You know you donât have the right technology (youâre using scraps for fuck sake) to create an effective and accurate signal, but with this little baby, you should be able to send out a general area ping.
This way, for anyone who is looking for you (you fucking hope so) they can lock into a general area of the multiverse.
You are holding onto hope you get discovered soon.
Landing on top of a random construction site, you made quick work setting your things up. Connecting the cable to your beacon, and one towards your watch, you use the last cable and walk over a power generator.
This is it, this is where youâll finally finally have a semblance of a chance to leave this universe. You just want to go home. You donât exist here, you checked when scrolling through the web.
Not someone who looks like you- or a spider-woman either. You donât belong here, and you never had the intention to play pretend either. This world isnât your problem and you arenât needed. So, now youâll ping your location and go home.
Your very own emergency distress signal.
You plug your cable in the generator and it causes a power surge.
You pray to be discovered.
-
âB! Itâs happening again!â Oracleâs alarmed voice caused Batman to head out immediately. âBut this time itâs different!â
âSame place?â Hopping into his batmobile he sped off. âDifferent how?â
âNo, this time itâs in the Narrows. A construction site twenty minutes from your location. Itâs pinging like crazy!â Oracle couldnât understand what was happening.
It had been a regular Thursday night until she got a ping of another disturbance. Not quite the âquantum disturbanceâ like a few days ago, but then it was the flickering power surge. She was quick this time, getting an accurate location and with Batman on the way, theyâll find out what this is.
âItâs definitely the same as a few days ago, but not big enough, not strong enough. Causing a power surge!â
The surge only lasted ten seconds. Ten seconds too long. Then silence and all the light and energy came flickering back in that area.
âRobinâs close, heâs on his way B.â As if nothing had happened. Oracle wasted no time in finding cameras to see the situation. But the ripple effect caused security cameras to shut down for the duration of the surge. âShit. Cameras are down- canât find anyone in or out.â
âHm.â Batman grunted. This was a grunt of annoyance.
Upon arriving on the scene, Batman made his way through the partially completed construction site. There stood only one other figure, and it was Robin.
âThere was no sign of the perpetrator when I got here.â He spoke, his fixed glare at the spot where the ping was the strongest. âI surveyed the surroundings, nothing.â Frustration was clear in his voice and clenched teeth.
This confirms what Oracle said through the comms.
Batman sighed. Whatever was here, left just as quickly. This means that whatever caused a quantum disturbance days ago, is still here. In his city. In Gotham. And when he finds them, heâll make sure to squeeze out every bit of information they possess.
He wonât take any chances of possible alien life force coming and going as they please.
âWeâre not completely at a loss.â His words caught Robinâs attention, so he continued. âThat means whoever did this is still here. It wasnât as big as the other one, which means the recreation was not enough. Whoever or whatever it is, is still here.â
Robin processed the information and affirmed. âUnderstood. Means they will try again. And soon.â Robin makes sure to ping this area as a priority zone.
Batman nodded. He will find whoever is behind this. No matter the costs.
Nothing will escape their watch.
-
âNo! No no nonono!â
Just as you plugged in the cable to the generator a huge surge of power came through, quickly to find a connection.
Your watch sprang to life, a bright screen greeted you and quickly you sprung to action. Seeing the universe number glitch but readable.
Finding a smidgen of a connection, you started calling Miguel; it couldn't even connect.
You wanted to sob.
âMiguel! Miguel please please see this! Please please please!â Then the connection went out and the watch turned black.
You felt like your whole world was crashing down on you.
You tried, you really did try! You did your best. You have always done your best. But in the end, it seems that no matter how hard you fought or tried to fight, defend, and protect, it just was never enough. But you lost waaaaay too much to give up. Especially now.
Youâll get discovered soon. And not by the ones you want to meet. âFuck!â
You couldnât let this get to you. They might be coming. Quickly unplugging the cables you grab the beacon and swing away, using the night as your cover to make a grand escape.
After all, you still were able to at least find a connection, just not a strong one. Try again next time.
A fire grew inside you. Thatâs right, youâll just try again, and this time make something better. As long as you werenât caught you can still make something better. âCanât give up.â You spoke through your tears. Youâll fix this, you have too. Itâs just you against the world.
Just like Miguel, youâll throw yourself into fixing things. Making it better.
The obsession of trying to make things right by any means necessary, broken and unbroken. Take things apart and build it back together again, same and before, or better, greater even.
A Tinkerer if you will. Anything to be useful, needed, wanted. And in order for you to feel that, youâll build an even stronger signal. This time, youâll make your watch better.
You know Hobie Brown knows how to build his own watch. You both do. Discussed it when Hobie casually said he missed your presence at times. So youâll just upgrade yours.
Building a better beacon and upgrading your watch requires more material. So youâll plan for the days ahead. You will learn from this failure. You have to. You need to.
Your greatest failures were failing to save Ben, protect May, and defend Peter, those you cared for the most. You canât afford to fail this. You will make it back. It just seems that youâll be stuck here just a tad bit longer.
âThatâs okay⌠everything will be okay.â Your erratic mind becomes calm again.
You learned to take responsibility for your actions and mistakes, learned to accept the consequences and help others face their own, and finally to heal and move forwards, to hope. And right now, youâre hoping for a better outcome soon.
âI can do this.â Landing on the warehouse you climbed through a window, throwing your mask to the side, landing on your workbench. âI can do better.â
You were known as a dangerous spider. You have years of experience, years of trials and tribulations, youâre smart, curious, and compassionate. But youâre hungry, always hungry to learn more, to consume knowledge. You use what you learn and become better than yesterday.
Youâre a dangerous spider because you always come out of every experience learning more, learning to be better as you adapt, plan and overcome every obstacle in your way.
Youâre a dangerous spider, because you push yourself to the brink itâs almost madness. Your obsession of not being weak, helpless, and vulnerable forced your body to adapt at a rapid pace. It terrified your enemies and comrades. And how easily you can hide that obsession is also terrifying.
Itâs the calm before the storm.
And right now, you need to plan better. Youâll leave the Narrows, go somewhere else. Possibly Park Row? No. Thatâs the Red Hoods territory. Maybe somewhere less chaotic. Oh! East End sounds perfect! Itâs one of the places Batman doesnât really interfere with.
Perfect.
Youâll only leave once you finish your beacons. Because you know the bats will come here, and most certainly discover that someone has been here building no matter how you try to cover up your doings.
Batman is just that good. You just wonât take any chances.
-
In a different universe far faaaaaaar away. Miguel discovered a heartbreaking partially audible voice recording of his missing protĂŠgĂŠ.
You were lost, and he doesnât know how to find you.
Prev; Next;
I know it feels like I'm rushing and to that- fair probably. I also really want to get into the bat family and stuff. Their actual civilian personas i mean. Not their vigilante alter ego. You are going to meet them next chapter for sure, I just need to find a way to up the states for you. Make you feel dread and anxious.
I'm not a funny person, so I feel like I am doing the spider-sona injustice. Rip.
Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 3 - Weak and Alone
The hairs on your body stood up for a good while before you could relax again. You didnât know meeting the yellow bat would be this fucking terrifying. Like, câmon man! You fought many weird, crazy, dangerous, and scary things in your life as a hero, why was coming into contact with one of this worldâs heroes that terrifying?
And besides this guy was just- is just a human, not a mutated creature or even an alien, just a regular human like you. But something about him just- put you off.
Crime in the mornings are so rare, how bad was your luck for it to happen when you were there? Wrong place and time, maybe? Or your luck is just shit and thatâs that.
You donât even question how this guy found you-er the robber. Even if he was in the area, Oracle or the other Robin must have been on surveillance duty or something. If you recall only two of Batmanâs wards are mostly the âman in the chairâ type. Oracle because of what happened to her with the Joker and one of the Robins because heâs one of the smartest ones. Or something like that.
Regardless, youâre okay now. Thatâs all that matters.
Hands in your pocket you remembered you looted the guy earlier. Taking out some cash you realized this guy had money. He had three-hundred, so why try to rob a convenience store? Well, whatever, not your problem.
Youâve become really good at pushing your problems to the back of your head.
What is now your problem is finding a library. Lifting your mask back on your face you continue to march forward, regardless of direction. Picking a random bar from your snack bag, you begin to eat it under your mask to calm your stomach so you can think.
âOkay, cheap food and non perishables are what I will live off of.â You donât plan to stay in this wack world for long, so saving money is key. âNext, find layouts, maps, anything to get a semblance of where I am and what I can do. I need information, and lots of it. Third, I need a generator to power my gizmo. Finally, supplies to build a GHM. âGo-Homeâ machine.â
So far things are looking very bleak but that's okay. No worries. Um, on the bright side, you havenât glitched at all, so your gizmo watch isnât totally off the record. As long as itâs still connected and alive, youâre sure Miguel can find your signal.
You did just suddenly disappear during a fight that was basically your mission that Miguel sent you on. That means Miguel already knows of your unfortunate case and should most likely be looking for you, right?Â
He wouldnât abandon you, right? Heâs the one that recruited you after all! He came to you. He knows of your existence and predicament. You have somewhat of a mentor and student relationship for fucks sake! He wouldnât leave you stranded in favor of his issues with MilesâŚright?
Youâre not getting forgotten⌠right?
You matterâŚright?
No! You canât think like this! You also canât put all your spiders in one web. You need more options, alternatives. Whether Miguel is looking for you or not (you choose to believe he is), you need to find a way to either go home or get in touch with him.
You gotta do things your own way.
Youâre smart, resourceful, use your brain!Â
Youâre good at improving, inventing, and repairing- a tinker if you will. Taking things apart, fixing whatâs broken, or building things. Thatâs one of your strong suits- itâs time to use that big beautiful brain of yours to find out whatâs wrong with this watch.
So in order to do that, you need materials. So how would a broke but smart pretty woman such as yourself find materials that wonât catch the eyes of the batsonas? Simple. One manâs garbage is another manâs treasure.
Thatâs right baby!
A junkyard.Â
Now to find a junkyard, you need a map. So to a library you go!
With newfound determination and energy, forgoing any unsavory thoughts and focusing on buildings and landmarks.
Getting pretty far into the city you managed to find a public library and mentally fell to your knees begging to all the gods to not run into any and all of the bat family here.
So you pass through the automatic doors and immediately feel relaxed. Honestly being in this world makes it hard for you to even feel safe when everything and everyone could be a potential danger to you.
Not to mention how quickly and easily some of the criminals can escape. You reeeeeally donât want to face the villains of this world. Youâd rather your own Vulture than their Scarecrow or whatever.Â
Giving the librarian an award winning (and non suspicious) smile, you made your way over to the row of computers. Sitting further away from the camera, you sit down and stare at the dull desktop.
âOkay, good, Iâm here, no bats in sight, now what?â Feeling slightly overwhelmed you took a deep breath and then checked the date and location.Â
Reading the latest news was beneficial, now you know just who is in Arkham and whoâs free at the moment. Thank the gods that the Joker is locked away. You really arenât ready to face the big bad baddies of this world.Â
Soaking in as much information as possible, for hours you learned the latest news, Batman sent the some criminals to Arkham, Bruce Wayne hosting a charity event in a couple of months, Dick Grayson is coming to Gotham (why?), Lex Lutherâs recent scandal, Superman saves the earth (again), Damian Wayneâs anticipated art museum opening. Wow, nothing interesting.Â
Nearing four hours just sitting there, you decide to call it quits and pull up maps one last time. Double checking your information you make sure that everything was like you never touched it and thensome.Â
Waving good-bye to the librarian you headed off to the large junkyard you found. The walk was pleasant and free of crime. Fuck you daylight robber. Though you know it isnât true, crime happens everywhere and anytime, just some are quieter than others.Â
Arriving at the junkyard, you realized just how ginormous it is. Walking around you spot an abandoned warehouse, where equipment usually is stored and you jump with glee. Knowing there are no working cameras around here, you rest easy knowing you can just go ham on tinkering to your heart's desire.
Setting your bags down, you look around. There are tools that were left behind and you were ready to kneel and thank the gods. Looking at the equipment and workbench, youâre thoroughly pleased with what you have to work with. Shedding your hoodie, you step outside and into your paradise.
Finding many useful and discarded materials you quickly get to work in picking apart metals and material. Dragging them inside the spacious warehouse you go back and forth picking and dragging materials.
And the day flew by, just like that. Itâs already late afternoon and you looked over your work.
Youâve made great progress with gathering materials. Having a mountain inside the warehouse to work with and on the workbench there was already something in the making. Youâre building what is essentially a charger and beacon for your web watch.Â
This will give out a signal for Miguel to latch onto and discover your location. The only issue is if Miguel is looking for you, this will help greatly. The other issue is, you need energy, and lots of it. Sunlight here would suck with how gloomy Gotham can be.
So direct sunlight canât be its only source.Â
Regardless youâll fix and create the panels anyways. For now, since itâs late, youâll take a break and fix this place up.Â
Sike, you just make a web hammock on the ceiling and web your bags to the wall next to you. After discovering the owner of the motel tried to get inside your room (that you fucking paid for) while you managed to finally catch some Zzzâs, it was decided to just leave.
Though you still need food and a place to do your necessities. Maybe you just have to suck it up and go through the centers here.
Sighing in the silence, your mind began to spiral.
The warmth and comfort of uncle Ben as he took care of you when you had nightmares, the gentle embrace of aunt May when you had succumbed to fevers, and the loving presence of Peter Parker when you were at the brink of it all.
You miss them, god you fucking miss them! You hadnât felt those things in years, not after closing yourself from everyone when you lost them. Sure you had the mentor and student relationship with Miguel, but you never let yourself get close.
Not with Miles and the others, because you felt like a protector, a role model, someone who canât show weakness.
Not with the hundreds of other Peter Parkerâs either. Those Peterâs are just as smart, charming, dorky, and special as your Peter Parker. But they arenât your Peter Parker. And they never will. Your Peter was even more special, more smart, more charming, more dorky, more charismatic, more everything! He was everything! And then⌠he left.
No, he didnât leave.
You just couldnât save him. You must not have been enough for him. You had seen the signs! You could have done something! But you didnât. You got complacent, cowardly. Afraid to lose what you have.Â
Uncle Benâs death taught you to treasure what you have before itâs taken away. Aunt Mayâs death taught you to keep things as they are, so they donât break. You vowed to never make those mistakes again.
So when you met Peter Parker, you made sure he knew just how much he meant to you. How special he was, and how important he is to you. You werenât blind, you noticed the painted smiles he wore at times. How life seemed to be dragging him down. But you were too afraid, too complacent. You didnât want to tip the scales and possibly break something too fragile. You never pushed, or prodded because you knew if someone did that to you, youâd leave.
But the most important thing was that Peter isnât you. Peter was strong, faaaar stronger than you, he isnât glass. He held on for soooo long, and still tried to hide his pain from you. But you knew. You also knew that Peter knew that you knew. You just never pushed.
Peter Parkerâs death demonstrated just how powerless you are. How much of a coward and paranoid you became. If you just talked to him, maybe he would still be alive.Â
With youâŚ
Maybe, you would have accepted his confession once you mustered up the courage to take a leap and accept his feelings for you.
Just maybe.
But, there is no maybe anymore. There will never be Peter Parker and You. Because there hasnât been another you so far.Â
And you live with that guilt and hatred towards yourself. But if Peterâs death taught you anything else, itâs to keep moving.
You have to keep going, for Peterâs sake. And for your sanity.
Because the more time you spend in this universe and not in your own, where you can visit Ben, May, and Peterâs graves, you are slipping ever so slightly.
Youâre losing your fucking mind.
You just want to go home.
-
âNothing Bruce. Itâs only been a day but so far nothing.â Catwomanâs sharp voice cut through the silence.
Batman doesnât reply in acknowledgement but nods and leaves the rooftop, leaving Catwoman peeved.
âI told you Iâd keep looking, maybe it was nothing. Youâre just too paranoid.â She huffed before going her separate way.
Batman felt his eyebrow twitch. First, this disturbance that apparently leads to nothing (thatâs not true, he can feel it.) Then itâs news about a freak who caught two crooks beating a civilian. At first he didnât pay it any mind until they kept spouting about a person in a suit shooting a sticky substance.
Gordon couldnât get a sample because of how sticky the substance was and only for it to dissolve thirty minutes later. Jim Gordon also couldnât add anything to this personâs claim because it was night and dark and he could only see the silhouette of the person.
But then again, thatâs just two things that were off. A coincidence sure, but he doesnât really believe in coincidences. Not in Gotham.
Placing his hand on his earpiece he spoke, âAnything?â
âNothing to note. Maybe sheâs right. What if this shift was just a coincidence?â Oracle replied.
âNot likely,â He heard her huff, and he sighed. âBut not impossible either.â
Oracle would take that over a paranoid Batman any day. Itâs the closest thing to an agreement then she will ever get. âIâve been scanning the whole day but so far, nothing. Not even something similar.â She mumbled to herself.
Just as she takes a small break and sips on water, she hears footsteps approaching.
âHow can I help you, Duke?â
âHey, sorry to bother you if you're busy. Looks like you could use a break.â He replied.
âHonestly, yes. With the whole issue near the East End, I need it.â Barbara swirled her chair around to face Duke.
Duke rubbed his neck in apprehension. âDid you-â
âFind anything?â Oracle finishes for him. He nods. âNo. Scanned her face and everything but nothing came up. Then I checked beyond, outside of Gotham. Truly nothing. Sheâs a ghost.â
âOr, maybe a survivor?â Duke proposed.
âPossibly. Many trafficked survivors and escapees have made it to Gotham.â Barbara entertained the idea.
âDo you know where,â after a hesitant pause he let his hand fall to his side, a slight glint in his eyes that went unnoticed. âShe is staying?â
âShe was staying at a motel near Park Row. She hasnât returned since.â This was cause for alarm for Duke but he kept it in.
âWhere-â He tried.
âRelax Duke. You know most would call this- whatâs the word, ah, stalking.â Barbara teased, causing Duke to flush slightly.
âYouâre right. I justâŚâ He straightened up before he chuckled at his memory of you. âI never got her name.â
âThatâs cause she never threw it. Not even the guy from the store got it.â
âAlright, thanks though.â Duke nodded and headed out.
Barbara bid him well and returned to the screen. Wondering how you, a random civilian, caught Dukeâs attention. But then again, after scanning your face on the screen she too couldnât help but find herself unable to look away.Â
And yes, you could say that youâre pretty, she can see that, but there is just something about you that makes you different and she canât figure out why. Just what about you has her curious. But then again you are a civilian and she wonât mix personal interest with work.Â
Despite parading that Bruce was being paranoid about the disturbance in the air. It was strong enough to send an alert to her, and it could be something dangerous. But it happened so fast that you could blind and you would miss it.
For now, the thought of the pretty civilian will be put on the back burner, but not forgotten. Sheâll get to you when she solves this stupid case in front of her. That and the mysterious spider person that three people (not including her dad) apparently saw.
âCoincidence? Probably not.â typing the keyboard she clicks enter and watches the monitor scan Gotham for the same frequency as the disturbance to see if she can put up anything, even a trace.
Nothing.
Clicking enter, she watches the screen again.
Prev; Next;
I realized have like ZERO outline for a fleshed out story sucks balls. Well, let's see where this goes together. I ordered some Signal/Duke comics and I am excited to see them arrive. Anyways, which new bat person do you think you'll meet next? There is only one right answer and it isn't Duke.
You're name isn't Tinker, but it's probably what I'll use as your alias.
Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 2 - Spider Luck
Morning came quickly despite the shitty sleep you received that night. The constant tossing and turning, the constant fear and anxiety of getting caught or broken into, really you couldnât catch a break.Â
Despite that, you did get some sleep, even if the sum total was like three hours. Still, itâs not like the nightmares would have let you sleep regardless. All your failures would consume your thoughts and drown you, reminding you of your losses.Â
Sure you moved on, but itâs not like you had forgotten. Uncle Benâs wisdom, Aunt Mayâs lessons, and Peter Parkerâs kindness. You vowed to honor and cherish those memories, but here you are, in another fucking world, with a high possibility of you breaking some laws just to get out.
Desperate people do crazy shit, and you arenât that sane to begin with.
Luckily this motel has a shower and you plan to use it. Making sure to clean yourself with what you have (unfortunate) and pick up the necessities that you desperately need.Â
Taking your time (since you paid for it) you get yourself ready, making sure your mask, gloves and (stolen) wallet are secured inside the hoodieâs pockets. Suite nice and tucked underneath the turtleneck and leggings. First order of business is shoes. Maybe that should have been your first mission yesterday- oops.Â
You definitely should have followed the young spiderlings example and fight crime with shoes. Well if you ever meet them again, you willâŚ
When you meet them again. You will. You have to. No matter the cost.
And then your stomach rumbled. âGreat! Time for cheap food. Wonder if that knockoff Wack-Donld place is open.Â
Oh thatâs a nice plan. But you forgot one thing, genius. Where is it? How would you know where it is? You canât even map it since you also donât have a phone.Â
About to unlock the door, you realized something. It already was unlocked⌠âHmmâŚâ Well, it was good that you webbed the door then.
âFuck.â Leaving the motel keys at the front, you skedaddled your way back into the streets, looking for either a bodega or a shoe store. In order to keep yourself somewhat sane, you start softly humming music you recall Miles shared with you.
After some time of walking around aimlessly (you avoided asking others for directions, gods know gothamites unwritten rule is to mind your fucking business), you found a thrift store.
Guess what you realized while browsing for shoes. If you buy and fight crime with shoes, and (as of right now) are your only pair, you will get found out. So crocs it is!
Black ones, because white gets dirty too damn easily.
Finding your size and other clothing necessities, face-mask, a backpack and a portable sewing kit, you were good to go and all for a cheap price! God you love thrift stores. You used to go to as many and as often as you could with Peter. Ya had a bad spending habit and Peter certainly never discouraged you. He was your terrible financial buddy.
Not now! You canât reminisce right now, not until you found a way home. Asking the cashier for directions while also subtly declining their phone number (your excuse is that your phone got stolen) you made it to a corner store. Hurray!
Making sure to stock up on snacks, since- letâs be real, this will be your food source for a while, (no income, remember, silly) you stand in line to pay before your spider sense goes off.
Behind you. Thereâs a man, hoodie on, looking down, covering their face, hands buried inside their pockets. Youâre betting itâs either a gun or a knife.Â
âDonât move or Iâll shoot.â Oh, itâs a gun. How original.
The cashier seemed to clock in to what is occurring and subtly reaches under his counter. Not subtle enough because the man behind you yelled, pulling out his gun and pointing at the back of your head.
What the fuck spider luck.
You quickly assess your surroundings, making note that there is only one exit, two normal people not including you but including the gunman, and the room feels tight and too small to do anything.
Conclusion? Youâre fucked.Â
âI said donât move, hands up! Give me the money, all of it!â From the corner of your eyes you can see just how fidgety this man was. Probably trigger happy if you do something stupid.
âHe-hey man, I donât got much in here.â The cashier had his hands in the air, trembling and freaking out.Â
âI donât care, give me the money! Yours too, bitch. Now!â
How rude. âAlright, Iâm going to get my wallet. Donât shoot.â You made slow movements of reaching into your pocket for the wallet.
âHurry up! Both of you!â The thug yelled impatiently. You could practically feel how sweaty and anxious this guy is.
You watched the employee open up the cashier and take the money out. The assailant motioned for you to place your wallet on the counter, which you do and step to the side, getting out of his way. Just as he goes to grab the money you quickly grab the wrist with the gun and twist it, making sure he dropped it before smashing his head onto said counter, money flying everywhere.Â
Both you and the cashier watched the assailant fall to the ground, nose bleeding and out cold. âUm,â The cashier looked at you, spooked. âI panicked.â
Hey look at that, no shots fired baby! Ya still got it! You are a pro-fess-io-nal~!
âHey man, no-um no sweat. You saved me.â He replies with a tremble in his voice.
âCool, cool, I also didnât want to get shot. How much for my stuff?â You asked, picking up the money on the floor, handing it back while placing your snacks on the counter..
âWhat stuff? I see nothing. Just go. I already called the cops.â Oh, so he wasnât reaching for a gun (corner stores usually have one under the counters) but a buzzer or something? Nice, cool, great.
âThanks buddy!â Hey man, free food is a blessing. Picking up your wallet and bag of snacks, you step over the knocked out guy, (pick pocketing any cash he had on him,) picking up the gun with your sweater sleeve and placing it at the counter. âHere, for the cops.â
âThanks so much, again for everything. Hey, can I get a name? For the next time you come andâŚbuy stuff.â He shot his shot.
âI appreciate it man, but I donât give out my name like that. You know?â
And he missed.
âYe-yeahâŚâ He looked like a kicked puppy.
Just as you stepped out you heard the sound of a motorcycle nearby and your senses went off again.
âStop right there, not another step.â A third party voice joins the fray.
What the fuck, spider luck?!
Instantly you recognize the vigilante in front of you but regardless you are not taking any chances today.Â
Taking a step back inside the store, making sure to close the door on the guy. âUm, hey not to alarm you or anything but there is a guy with a mask standing outside.â Bringing your hands up (again) you back away from the entrance, snack bag swinging around with your movements.Â
The employee nods pulled out the pistol from the counter (what the fuck, why would you grab that with your fingers my dude?) and aimed.
Well at least he doesnât hold grudges for being rejected.
The door swung open and there stood a masked vigilante, but a familiar bat symbol on his chest caught the employeeâs attention.
âOh thank god itâs not another one.â Putting the pistol again he sighed in relief.
âAh!â The yellow vigilante turned his focus onto you, (who backed up so much you tripped over the k.o.ed dude, fucking embarrassing) hands still in the air and snacks littering the floor.
Some professional you are. Fuck you spider luck.
âI didnât steal anything, I swear.â God, you're embarrassed and stressed.
The vigilante ponders for a few seconds, taking in the scenario, glancing at the employee who nods and turns his attention back. âSorry about that. Here.â He extends a hand out towards you and to not be suspicious you hesitantly take it, your body tenses on instinct, pulling away immediately.
âThank you.â you mumbled silently cringing at your embarrassment over spilled snacks.
âWhat happened?â He still faced you but you knew that question was for the other party member. And even if it was for you, youâre silent.
âThat dude tried to rob us and they knocked him out. Oh,â The cashier looked at his hands. âThis is his.â And placed the pistol on the counter.
This looks like the perfect time to poof away so you do. Right after you pick up your snacks. Signal sees this and silently aids you. âYou both arenât hurt, right? Need medical assistance?â
No you fucking donât.
Holding out the bag as Signal placed the last snack in you as you shook your head. âIâm a-okay. Thank you though.â And you walk out for the second time. You could still feel his eyes on you until the door closes.
And guess who shows up.
The men in blue.
âHold it right there.â Bro, you just want to be left alone, is that so much to ask? This time instead of bringing your hands up (for a third time), you instead clutch your bag to your chest, mask down and point inside, making sure your voice matches your facial expression.
âIn there, he stopped him there.â meek, timid, nervous.
It seems to have worked as the pair of policemen entered the store and you didnât think twice and booked it (in a non suspicious manner- if you run, they might chase). Passing by a yellow motorcycle you take a glance back and see the vigilante stepping outside the store, looking somewhat bothered in the presence of the authorities.Â
Sucks to suck, bud, you know that feeling very well, not your problem anymore.
As if feeling your eyes on him he turns his face towards you, your eyes meeting a mask. Oh fuck! You felt your hair stand up. Holding his gaze for a few seconds before turning away (any other abrupt movement would definitely make you look suspicious) you continue on your way.
Forcing yourself to not tense up and fight the urge to shiver at his cold gaze you round the corner and you feel somewhat safer again. But itâs a false sense of security, because you know youâre slowly losing your mind.
Hopefully you wonât run into him or any of the other bats.
-
Duke Thomas was patrolling his territory, the Narrows, when he got a notification.
âSignal, thereâs a robbing occurring five blocks from your location. The corner store Convenience. Know it?â Oracleâs voice spoke through the comms.
âI know my way. Iâm checking it out now.â
âChecking the cameras- there are only three people inside. The assailant, a civilian, and an employee.â
âGot it-â
âOh wait. Huh, well look at that.â Disbelief could be heard through the comms.
âWhat is it?â Did things escalate too fast?
âThe civi knocked the guy out. Basically one move.â Color Oracle impressed.
âIâm here, anything else I should know about?â
âIâm scanning what I can see of their face, but Iâm coming up blank. Iâll let you know if anything.â
Duke didnât reply, instead as he pulled up he saw someone coming out of the store. âStop right there, not another step.â
He watched the figure (gender unidentifiable with the oversized hoodie) freeze before making eye contact with him-er his visor. Despite the hood being down, he could not see their face completely with their mask, only their eyes and hair. Just a normal civilian, who apparently knocked out a guy with a gun.
Then silence and no movement.
Until the civilian backed away, closing the store door.
Stunned for a moment, Duke could hear Oracles snort through the comms. âThink theyâre scared?â
âFrom what, me? They took down a guy with a guy and I scared them?âÂ
âCareful, gun pointed straight at you inside.â warned Oracle.
He moves towards the front door, pushing it open to see the civilian from earlier backing away still, hands up before turning his attention to the employee with a gun. âOh thank god itâs not another one.â
âAh!â A yelp caught his attention and it seems the civi tripped on the knocked out guy he just noticed. They immediately spoke, catching his eyes,âI didnât steal anything, I swear.âÂ
Duke holds in a snort before glancing at the employee who nods in confirmation before he focuses on the fallen person. He calmly walks towards them, taking note of their discomfort and reaches his hand out. âSorry about that. Here.âÂ
Despite his covered eyes somewhat obscuring his vision, he couldnât will them away from this strangerâs visible face.Â
Duke watched their hesitation but placed their hands in his, and he swore he felt a spark that sent shivers down his spine. How curious. He pulled them up, noting just how light they felt in his hold.
âThank you.â Their voice was soft, but audible.
They quickly pulled their hand away, the warmth gone. His hand held its place for a couple of seconds before he let it fall to his side. âWhat happened?â He still faced the civilian, both unmoving. He already knew what occurred, Oracle told him everything, but he wanted to hear them talk more.
Only the employee replied. He took note of their lack of eye contact.Â
âThat dude tried to rob us and they knocked him out. Oh,â Duke glanced as the cashier placed the gun on the counter. Heâll leave that for the cops to pick up if they donât get here before he leaves. âThis is his.â
His attention is once again stolen as the civilian in front of him kneels to pick up their half empty bag. Standing above them, he notes the tips of their ears are red, how cute.
âYou good there, romeo? You kinda have a staring problem.â Oracleâs voice snapped him out of his trance.
Duke cleared his mind (he hoped he didnât look weird or creepy, yikes) before leaning down as well and helped pick up the tossed chip bags.
Though he did take his time, just to squeeze a bit more time with this civilian that he has yet to identify. âYou both arenât hurt, right? Need medical assistance?â He mostly directed this question to them than the cashier behind him. He wonders if Oracle figured out this civilian's name.Â
Placing the last snack inside the plastic bag he watches them straighten up before shaking their head. âIâm a-okay. Thank you though.â His eyes couldnât seem to leave their figure as he watched them walk out the door.
âCops outside, Signal.â Oracle once again breaks his attention.Â
âGot it.â Duke turns his attention to the guy on the floor, sitting him up as two officers enter the store. One takes the guy off his hands while the other questions the employee, taking the gun.
A slight restless feeling took over him and he made his way outside, the one carrying the passed out guy following. Duke quickly takes notice of eyes watching him and he turns to see the complete unmasked civilian from earlier.Â
This time, he really felt like he had a staring problem. He drinks up their appearance like water. Their nose, lips, face shape, everything. He didnât know how to explain it, but he really couldnât look away this time. Everything around him suddenly felt silent. He felt his body shiver.
Such a pretty face, this civilian caught his breath regardless. Heâs not one to lose himself by a pretty face but it seems this one was an exception. He felt mesmerized, entranced, and tongue-tied. Something about this person had a strong lock on him, and he couldnât help but feel somewhat excited then put off. It felt like a very tight leash, and he doesnât mind one bit.
Three seconds. Ever since he caught their gaze, they made eye-contact (despite him wearing a mask) before she looked away and left, turning the corner. (Their features look pretty feminine so heâs going with her).Â
âAnything Oracle?â He mumbled, still a bit lost.
âNo dice. How strangeâŚâ
Bummer. He mounts his ride and drives off to finish the rest of his patrol. Heâs tempted to drive in the direction the civilian went to, but he wills himself to not do that. God itâs like heâs down bad. Really bad.
Hopefully he gets to see you soon, it seems youâre staying in the Narrows which increases his chances to see you. As much as he curses himself internally, he hopes he can save you next time something dangerous happens again.
Something formed in the pit of his stomach, and he doesnât know if itâs desire or obsession.
Regardless, he embraces this feeling whole heartedly.
Prev; Next;
I struggled really hard, like REALLY hard. Duke is new to me (i only learned of him because of the webtoon) Now I'm reading issues he has been in and I don't know his character well but there is a SEVERE lack of Duke fics and I made it everyone's problem. So now he's down bad.
Updates are random and spars, no update schedule and don't plan to make one. This is my hobby not my obligation.
Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Prev; Next;
Chapter 1 - Home Sick
Okay, letâs start this from the top. Once upon a time and all that shit.
You had somehow, some way, ended up stranded in another universe when you were going toe-to-toe with the Spot that (unfortunately) Mileâs apparently created (unintentionally). Got it? Good.
Now the question is how you got stranded in another universe while fighting the Spot is another shebang that you do not know, and frankly, not your top priority as of right now.
Your mission is finding a way to power your web-watch (no offense but the gizmo name sucks), and either use it to find Miguel, the spider-society, or your very own earth. You honestly werenât choosy on which option you land, as long as you safely made it out alive and unscathed.Â
Speaking of unscathed, which in fact you are not, you quietly swung across many buildings, in the shadows, making sure you were hard to spot. Your dark spider suit being perfect for night patrol is a blessing for the camouflage it provides you in this god forsaken gloomy city.
Now, to get back on track, it took you an embarrassing amount of time to process that you have basically been thrown into a world where in your universe is all but fiction.Â
Have you kept up with the comics?
No, of course not. After Aunt Mayâs passing, you honestly gave up everything and just solely dedicated yourself into fighting crime. Well, you know some things, since Peter was also a mega comic nerd.
He would go on for hours and hours and hours about Batman and his kids (adopted and biological) and whatnot. You didnât mind, since spending time with a talkative Peter was better than being in your own headspace. If you recall the latest one to come under Batmanâs wing was someone named Duke? Well, thatâs as far as you remember.Â
Regardless, now you're looting someoneâs clothing wire. Picking out a thick gray turtleneck and black leggings (thank god) you don them over your suit, making sure nothing was visible. Now the issue is your footwear. Maybe you can get away with it?Â
Taking off the mask you were able to stuff it inside your bra (extra pocket, am I right?) while your gloves were hidden among your sleeves. Making sure nothing was out of place you pulled out the wallets of the two petty criminals, counting the money.
âFour-fifty, not bad.â Though you donât condone your actions, you are in a precarious situation at the moment. Oh well. Tossing one of the wallets away (making sure not to touch it with your fingers), you also placed it inside your bra for safe keeping.
Maybe this would be enough for a motel? How expensive- or cheap are those in Gotham? With how often crimes occur, it shouldnât be that expensive, right? Regardless, first things first, find a place to eat, find out the date and then a place to stay. Shouldn't be too hard.
Quietly climbing down the side of a complex building, you made sure the coast was clear before heading out. The lack of a jacket made you feel very vulnerable and exposed. Head down and hands to your sides, the cool breeze of the city causes shivers down your spine. âThis fucking sucks.â you mumbled, making sure to avoid gothamites as much as possible.Â
No time to gawk at your environment when youâre so out of place. You honestly just kept walking around, hearing police sirens and the occasional cop car driving by while you try to not lose your goddamn mind.
Walking around, using back streets and alleys you shiver as the cold nips at your face. Itâs not that youâre sensitive to cold, itâs just that you canât afford to get sick here. In a world where you donât exist.
âWait a minuteâŚâ thinking back on something, itâs true that you donât exist here. But that doesnât mean that a you- doesnât exist. Maybe somehow there is a version of you or spider-woman here. A far reach but hey, just hours ago, this was all fictional to you. But something worth looking into.Â
With a heavy sigh you walk inside an alley, looking up to gauge the time to see- oh, whatâs that? Another clothing line! And guess what? It has more clothes to loot! Score! Donât mind if I do! Finders keepers baby!
And you thought your spider luck was ass.
Discreetly looking around to see for any cameras that can potentially identify you only to come out flat. Perfect. Using the fire escape you parkour to snag a black oversized zip up sweater.Â
This would be perfect in covering you even further (and now you have pockets for your mask) and making your figure harder to identify. Now you can start acting like a true gothamite.
With a pep in your step, you exit the alleyway.
Spotting a diner up ahead, settling yourself inside you order your drink of choice and a bagel just to have something to entertain yourself while you calm your nerves.
Sitting down next to a window, taking slow sips and bites from your meal you subtly look around (making a point of subtly ignoring the gaze of the cashier). It seems to be late afternoon, heading to night. Not good, not good at all.Â
Besides finding a place to stay, you glance at your wrist, the web watch looking pretty obvious and suspicious out there in the open on your wrist. But, without it, you could perish in this foreign world. Should you pull a Hobie Brown and create a new watch from scratch? No, you donât have the time, tools, or luxury. Thank god for the hoodie covering it up.
Right now, staying on task is essential. A job, maybe? With what credentials? Hell, you donât even have an ID. Maybe a fake one? Who would do such a thing for a reasonable price and isnât a criminal? Another note, you need supplies, enough to build web shooters and the cartridge. Unlike other spiders, you had the ability to shoot webs from your wrist, gross. But (with Peterâs intellect) you ended up also creating webs on your own in case yours fails. And it has- a lot both in comical and crucial times. Peter wouldnât let you live anything down (god you miss him).
And being in a new world and everything going on, the last thing you need is a web block because of the high anxiety and stress this place is already giving you. Youâd rather be safe than sorry. Now, how to get supplies? Stealing them seems easier than working for it. You just donât have the time. How were you going to steal them, and from where? Who the fuck knows. Probably from a college science room or something.
In order to do even that, you need to find out the layout and what not of this place. So maybe the best place to start is the library? Doesnât someone from Batmanâs little possie work at the library? Can you risk that? Probably.
Fuck, this was going to be harder than it looks. No phone, basically no money (not counting the one you stole from criminals), no ID (or insurance), no place to stay, no allies, ya got nothing. Zip, zero, nada.Â
You feel so lost and alone, so vulnerable. And the thoughts in your head are slowly getting louder and louder. Eating away at your insecurities and feelings. God, youâre starting to get homesick. Will you make it back? Will you find a way back home? Is anyone even looking for you?
Last thing you recall was fighting the Spot with Miles, Hobie, Gwen and Pavitr. You remember hopping onto Spotâs back while he was absorbing but then he poof and you along with him. Everything went black for you and then you landed here in this city (ungracefully might I add).
You just want to go homeâŚeven if itâs lonely without Uncle Ben, Aunt May and Peter Parker.
You really have nothing, rock bottom, baby. But then again, the only place to go is up, right?Â
Sighing you finished your drink and bagel before leaving the diner, making sure to look at the clock above the exit, and aimlessly walking around. Would they let you in one of those shelters? Are those even a thing? Probably, maybe.Â
Couldnât hurt to try. Buuuuut, then again, you need the privacy, so maybe the shelter was a no go. Okay, perfect, back to square fucking zero. A cheap and possibly dangerous motel it is!
Hopefully your spider luck doesnât fuck you over. Youâre honestly thankful for not coming across any batsonas and whatnot. And you were able to get clothes so you say youâre two for two.
After looking around for some time, emphasis on some, you managed to find a motel and get yourself settled. No ID required, just cash, and you internally sobbed at the remaining funds you had left. You really will need a job or a sustainable income.
âAre underground rings still a thing? Is it a thing here?â You mumbled, discarding your stolen clothes before fiddling with your watch until its screen flashes before abruptly turning dark again. âWell now, how fucked am I?â A deep sigh resonated in the empty room. Hopefully while it turned on, Miguel would somehow by some god given miracle (or your spider luck but donât bank on it) that he received at least a signal, no matter how microscopic it is.
You had to get home. At all costs. This place isnât your home. Itâs not like you should play by the rules. But, Ben, May, and Peter would be so disappointed in you if you break laws just to return to your home universe. And if youâre being truthful, it wouldnât sit right with you eitherâŚ
But Miles needs you.Â
If this world doesnât have a- you in it, then you arenât needed here. So you shouldnât waste time twiddling your thumbs. Maybe you really do need to break into a computer lab to see whatâs up with your watch or scavenge for parts. Hobie built it with parts from Miguelâs earth. Meaning, you can too, with whatever scraps you can find.
Youâll prioritize your watch first, then this city. Itâs unfortunate, but you really have to get back home, and you canât let your feelings get in the way and distract you.
Maybe you should call it a night? Figure things out in the morning? A yawn takes over your thoughts. âYea, sleep sounds really good right now.âÂ
These problems are for tomorrowâs you. For now, youâll catch some Zzzâs and flesh out a detailed plan on how to get back home.Â
Youâre banking on hacking a computer at the library despite the risks. Shooting a web at the door to prevent any possible and/or unwanted inconveniences because letâs be honest, trust no one but yourself, especially in this bat(ha)shit crazy world, better to be safe than sorry. You need your sanity to fix or at least charge your watch in order to get back home.
âBen, May, Peter- give me strength.â and into dreamland you go.
-
âHey B, come look at this.â A female voice spoke out, catching the attention of the adult in the cave. âI got something to show you. I got a trace of a disruption- but it happened quickly and only once.â
âWhere.â A gruff and stern voice asked.
âAround the East End.â
âIâll let Selina know.â
âShould I get someone to look into it?â
âNo, Iâll do it myself.â
With that, silence once again enveloped the Bat cave as Batman stepped out.
Prev; Next;
I'll be honest, I have no outline of where I want this story to go, this is just brainrot hour for me. Less go. A very high chance this will soon turn into somewhat of "yandere" but it's mostly just them being "possessive" honestly. Slooow burn. This was the last thing i had typed up, and I have no clue where I will drive this story, oops.
Synopsis: After losing so much, Spider-woman learns to just keep moving. Only for her to end up somewhere far from home. Her first agenda is figuring out where she is, and how to get back. The only problem is that she ended up somewhere fictional (to her). Playing hero with Batman was not in her bingo cards this year. Hopefully she will be able to make it back home before she catches unwanted attention.
Masterlist: Next;
Prologue - A Whole New World
Who knew being in a world where heroes and villains became the part of oneâs norm. Especially when one day, you get bitten by a radioactive spider and now have powers who in turn you use for the greater good. Of course not without trials and tribulations and what not, having to constantly prove oneself to others, helping grateful (and ungrateful) people, as well as making sure your civilian life doesnât bleed into vigilantism, and keeping relationships stable. Though despite this stress inducing predicament, you made it work, for years.
Youâve gained and lost many things. Youâre aunt and uncle for example. That shit hit real hard for you, left you rageful and bitter. Uncle Ben died because you let a criminal escape which in turn shot him. You wanted that murderer dead, and you got it (accidentally of course), it didnât make the pain and loss any better. Honestly you only had yourself to blame. Aunt May became your anchor after your loss. Friends and relationships were thrown out the window. Your focus was more on your aunt and vigilantism. Then you lost aunt May.
This hit was just as bad as Uncle Benâs death. Before you started at a high, discovering your powers, letting that ego hit sky high. Thatâs how you lost Ben. With May on the other hand, you lost her differently. This time you were too weak, too vulnerable, too naive, too sloppy.Â
While trying to save others during an attack, she got in the crossfire. There was no coming back for you. You lost the two most important people in your life. All you had left was your mask, because with the final death of May, your civilian life died alongside her.Â
Then you met Peter Parker. A cute nerd boy you saved once. How Peter came into your life is something youâre grateful for. When you saved him from an attack, he in turn started stalking you- er, your vigilant persona. And then he discovered who you were. He stuck by you through everything, and anything.
He never let your walls deter him. He slowly and painstakingly climbed those walls until you finally let him in. This cute nerd grounded you again. He patched up your wounds, took care of you when you couldnât, he was your confidant, and eventually he became your best friend. You learned to let people in again, to trust.
Now it was no longer just Spider-woman. You had a civilian identity again. He was there for you when the going was tough. You see, Peter Parker is smart, way too smart, he had big dreams, he was definitely going places. But something about him made you stare at him just a little too long. Peter is a bright man, too bright.Â
You see, Peter Parker was dealing with depression, and he (just like you) masked his feelings. You of course figured something was off about Peter, but never pushed it. You definitely regret it now. Peterâs flames were snuffed out too quickly. You also couldn't save him.
Losing Peter was the last straw. This life became unbearable. Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and even your best friend Peter Parker were all taken from you. You wonder how the darkness hasn't consumed you.
Uncle Ben taught you that with great power comes great responsibility. Aunt May taught you that your gift should save as many as you can. And Peter Parker taught you, to keep going, to just keep on moving.Â
You may have lost a lot, but you gain many things. So you kept going, no longer losing yourself completely.Â
Then a man named Miguel OâHara, from Earth 928 paid you a visit. Offering you an opportunity of a lifetime. And you took it. Saving other universes from these things called âanomaliesâ. You felt like you had a purpose again, another drive to keep you moving forward. You met other wonderful spiderlings. Young ones, who needed guidance, one that you didnât have years ago.Â
So you became one for them, and in turn they taught you many things as well. These kids are bright, just like your Peter. You refuse to let the hurt- your hurt, hurt others.
Then the situation with the Spot occurred. Fighting him had proven to have been unfortunate, causing you to end up somewhere new. Somewhere far away from home. Checking your multiversal Gizmo watch for a semblance of your location only to find out itâs not turning on. Now youâre stuck, in a universe you have no knowledge of, and with a semi unresponsive watch.
âWhere is this⌠Where am I?â you mumbled to yourself, slightly disheveled from the impact of you kissing the ground.
Standing in an unfamiliar environment, you look around to see anything that can help you, only to see gray skies, and a somewhat gloomy city. None of this rings any bells for you, no landscape to jog a memory, nothing.
You didnât want to walk around aimlessly either, not with you still in your suit. Not until you can get a better understanding of where you are, you stick to the shadows, using rooftops to swing away. But in this polluted city, you can still hear the police sirens echo, and crime being committed causes your spider-senses to tingle. It doesnât stop you from not helping though.Â
Stopping on a roof you came across two muggers beating a poor civilian, looting him and running. They got about three steps before both were webbed up and dangling. Hopping down you helped the beaten up man get his stolen items back.
âTh-thank you.â He winced in pain.
âThink nothing of it, here,â handing the poor man his phone, you looked up at the two thugs dangling like an ornament. âI suggest getting treated. You look pretty bad. Also, make sure the men in blues get here, canât leave these two dangling forever, ya know?âÂ
You watched the man limp away with his phone dialing 911 before turning your attention away. Climbing the walls you reached eye level of the thugs before yoinking their wallets and inspecting their IDs. You had half a mind to stay but then your spider sense tingle and you quickly swung back into the roof, leaving their IDs stuck to the web.
Just as you made it to the roof, flashing red and blue lights made it to the scene. A man steps out of his car, and the same hurt man you saved steps back into the alleyway, directing the policeman.Â
âHere, this is where they are.â
One of them walks under the dangling men before he notices your figure. He tenses, hands on his gun as he watches your slow movements. You lower the men onto the ground carefully, watching as the policemen glance between you and the criminals. His eye catches the IDs stuck on the web before looking back up. You were gone.
Swinging away you came across a sign that stopped you almost mid swing. There in the sky of this gloomy but bright city, was a light shining its beam on the clouds. And on the clouds it had a symbol that caused your stomach to flip.
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