Espera | R. Grayson ✔

[07]

Richard was at the nightclub but he was alert. His eyes and ears were sharp as he was very focused on his surroundings but outwardly he was trying to keep himself composed.

He knew he would have to leave any moment.

But he couldn't let it be obvious as he sat there casually, tuning up a guitar for his colleague. Helena was there too and she also knew about Barbara's plan that had to be put to execution that night.

They had let her in on it at the last minute and though she had been skeptical and worried about Barbara's safety, she trusted both of them to have thought it out thoroughly. Hence, she had done her part and was waiting for the signal as she sat across from Richard and his friend.

However, she was much calmer then Richard, as she was used to hide her emotions effectively.

Soon enough, the news headline cane on. Icy blue eyes focused towards the screen as the other people present in there had stopped to listen too.

"Reporting live from Aparo Square, another Gotham woman is missing. We have just been told that the abducted woman is twenty seven year old Barbara Eileen Gordon, daughter of the former Gotham City police commissioner, Jim Gordon."

Richard had stood up, knowing it was time to leave. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins despite the fact that he had schooled his features into an unaffected expression.

"Information has been leaked from a reliable source stating and I quote; that not a single body of the victims has yet been recovered," the news reporter added, informing further details on the constant abductions.

"Where are you going?" His colleague asked as he handed him back the guitar.

"Just to get some air," Richard replied with a smile, walking off but caught the bike keys Helena had thrown towards him.

Outside he found her bike, strapped on his jacket that he had taken from his locker upon leaving the club and mounted the vehicle.

He knew there was not a second to lose, the place was clear in his mind and so was everything else he and Barbara had discussed beforehand.

By then there was no doubt that she would be in the warehouse and he had to get her as well as the other girls out of there before any damage could be caused.

He reached the warehouse and spotted the people discreetly keeping watch.

He parked the bike aside and approached from the back gate, however just like he had expected, he was intercepted by a man.

"What are you doing here?" The man had a gun in hand as he stepped threateningly closer.

"You have a friend of mine in there," Richard replied calmly.

"Well if she's in there, she's my friend now," he remarked tauntingly.

Icy blue irises swept all over, judging that he had attracted the attention of most the guards on duty there.

If Barbara was alright, she would have enough opportunity to free the other girls.

"You're quite a legend around here, Grayson," another one of them had stepped out from the warehouse, a skull like mask covering his features, "so what would that make us when we kill you now?"

"Dreaming," he replied vaguely, fully prepared for them to charge at him.

The spotlights all around the warehouse were lit up as well, putting him more in focus.

A small smile flickered on his face as he recalled the moves in his head thoroughly.

So far everything had been according to plan and more people had begun to circle him like a prey. And the more people turned up to fight him, the less people there would be to keep watch inside.

Game on, he thought.

***

Barbara was cuffed and held by men wearing skull like masks covering their faces. She had a guess that the skull could refer to Black Mask's gang.

Roman Sionis had been rather well known for causing quite a lot of havoc in Gotham already.

But she couldn't jump to conclusions that quickly as a fist came aimed for her face. It struck her but she stood her ground.

"I could do this all night, sweetheart," a taunting voice escaped from that mask.

"If you have to knock me out, you'll have to hit me a lot harder than that," she breathed, green eyes challenging him to take another hit.

Provoked, the man hit her harder, knocking her down to the ground. And though it seemed as if Barbara had lost consciousness, she had sustained the blow rather well but was pretending to have fainted.

Another man came rushing in, wearing the same mask to cover his features, "he showed up."

"Who?" The one who had hit Barbara stood up, not getting the chance to check whether she was really unconscious or not.

"Grayson."

Barbara kept still though she had felt relieved to hear that name. It meant everything was going according to plan so far.

All she had to do was wait for the right opportunity to find out the others and make their escape.

"What should we do about her?"

His eyes swept over her apparently unconscious form, "let her be. She will be knocked out for a while."

She heard the retreating footsteps then looked up. Her lower lip was split, caked with blood but at the moment she was more focused to uncuff herself.

She had come prepared, with a paper clip concealed in her shirt. Very carefully, she tugged it out using her teeth and dropped it to the ground.

She could hear the sounds of a fight going on outside and knew there was little time left.

Her hands were cuffed on her back as she picked up the clip and twisted it in, struggling to undo the lock.

After a few minutes of hard work, it worked and the cuffs came off.

With her hands free, she dusted herself off and stood up, the layout of the place which Richard had sketched out in her notepad was fresh in her memory.

There were three possible rooms where the abductees could be kept and by the silence within the warehouse, it seemed Richard had managed to direct all the attention towards himself.

That was indeed one thing he excelled in. Commanding his audience's full attention, be it that of a nightclub or of a criminal gang.

She discreetly left that room and passed by the back door, glancing out to see a deadly fight raging between Richard and the others.

There were about eight of them she could currently see attacking him. And yet he still seemed to have an upper hand.

Knowing that he could handle himself, she dashed towards the rooms specified to her earlier and true enough, she found the girls.

They were mostly young and cowering in fear, not making a sound even due to the terror of being killed or tortured.

Barbara spoke up softly as she began to untie the ropes binding them, "don't be scared. I'm here to get you all out."

***