Raven Roth and Damian Wayne: Walking Ever Onward (Book 2 Of 2)

Chapter Five

"Will he be alright alone there?" Asked Jaime.

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"Crap, crap, crap. Bane, Deadshot, Grundy. No Riddler, where and why?" Jason said as he tore his leather jacket shoulder barging through some thick bramble.

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"He'll be fine. Under his goofy exterior, he's actually pretty skilled." Reassured Helena.

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"Born on a Monday..."

"Would you shut up with that?!"

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"She's right, didn't you see his badass reaction early. 'No, you go, save them, I have to stay here' dude's so cool." Gar imitated from the seat behind.

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"He was right there you half dead half wit. How did you lose him?" Bane raged at Solomon Grundy while Deadshot scanned the area through his scope.

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"Alright boys, let's calm down. Jason should be fine but what I'm concerned about is Damian and Raven vanishing." Kate said from the drivers seat.

Helena's heart sank again as she had forgotten that fact with their own commotion. "You were about to mention security footage before the tower exploded. What did it show?" She asked composing herself.

"They were staying the night at a motel attached to the dinner they'd stopped to have food at. Killer Croc was there and attacked them, I helped in passing and we got Croc picked up by Gordon. The Batwing had been sent to pick them up for the rest of the journey. The footage shows Raven loading up but Damian doesn't come out, inspecting the murder there is my guess. Raven goes back in and then darts out moments later her magic lighting up the place. Another figure comes out wielding a knife. Judging from the movements and body proportions its a man. There's only one glimpse of the back of his head when his hood falls down. Covered in tally scars..." Kate trails off.

"Oh god, Zsasz..." Helena concludes.

"He some how got the jump on Damian first. And then went for Raven but my guess is he wasn't aware of her magic or at least the extent of her control of it. And now all three are in the wind." Kate finished while Gar and Jaime just sat in silence. They didn't know the name, they knew basically nothing about how Gotham and its criminal pecking order worked, they were just suddenly aware of the tension in the cockpit and how quickly the Batwing was cutting through they air.

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"Darkness. Can open eyes but, cloth across them. It's damp, the cloth and area, can smell it in the air. Hands bond, slicing, its wire. Sat up at least, wooden chair, breakable, escapeable. Bide time, gather Intel, work out location. Something behind, limits escape avenues. Soft, flowing, hair, Raven? Can't speak, gag, cloth as well, taste the damp, disgusting. That's a shoulder, head on mine, it's Raven. Can't communicate through thought? Why? Stress? Logical." Damian thought to himself while getting his bearings.

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Batman brought the Batmobile to a stop at an abandoned warehouse tucked away in the Narrows and stepped out calmly analysing his surroundings.
Satisfied he walked up to the door and tried the handle. "Unlocked. Hmm" He thought to himself.
He walked in and through to a large open empty room. It stinks of a trap but even a quick glance around show no other path.
"Nigma! I know you're here." He called to the half open door on the far side.
Almost immediately he hears step, tap, step, tap, step.
The door opens wider and a tall slender Edward 'The Riddler' Nigma walks out resting his weight on his signature cane.
"Took longer than I expected to come my way. And since you have chosennot to use my alias, then I shall not use yours," He says looking at the ground. Then he locks eyes with him. "Mr Wayne." He declares before an almost defeated and dissatisfied sign "This way, no point you cluttering up the only tidy room in the building." He says and turns back to where he had come from.

"You expect me to just follow you after that." Batman states stoicly.

"I do. I understand your obligations, I belong in Arkham or Blackgate, both are not an option for you right now. Could store me at the GCPD however I doubt that will be the conclusion of this meeting. And if you are concerned about traps and a fight. Don't be, I don't have the energy. I just need a seat." Nigma declared plainly.

Batman analysed his facial reactions, each movement hurts, especially turning on that leg. His voice doesn't faulter at any point, typically not a lie but with a pathological like Nigma still could be. "Fine, lead the way." He decides.

Once in the back room Batman finds a simple stove with a kettle resting on it, an armchair with a small table that has today's newspaper and a fresh tea sat upon them. An old classroom chair both placed in viewing distance of an old but working tv showing channel 5 news at no volume.

"Not exactly what I was expecting to find here." Batman remarked as he looks over the place.

"No. You were expecting plans and half baked schemes at your demise. You were expecting to find some information on Jokers latest shenanigans." Nigma surmised while lifting the kettle in Batman's direction to offer him tea.

Batman looked from the kettle to Nigma. "You're offering me tea? What's going on here Nigma?" He all but demanded.

Nigma set the kettle down and turned to face Batman. "Firstly I want nothing to do with that clowns insanity, consequently second as a result my days battling and competing against you are done." Nigma stated and unbuttoned his shirt, holding it open to reveal a deep, fresh but healing cut on his right side leading from his collar bone down his chest, winding along his abdomen and over his left hip socket. He then lifted his trouser leg to show the cuts end across his ankle. "One continueos cut. The reward of saying no to Joker. Though painful and frustrating it was some what illuminating. I understood what Pamela Ivy was talking about." He stated while straightening out his attire.

"What do you mean?" Batman asked plainly looking up from the wound.

"Ivy and I have had a few conversations since her rehabilitation. She stated that being on the side of the Bat came with pain and injury however, it came with a freedom that went beyond merely being on the outside. A from of the heart. I scoffed at the idea at the time. Then I said no to Joker, and took this scar and I realised two things. One, you do this daily. Take on all of us, with or without your back up but ask for nothing in return. I used to say you were the insane one and belonged in Arkham with the rest of us. That being said the second thing I realised, is that Ivy was right and thus by extension so are you."

Batman stood and contemplated his next move for a moment before taking a seat. "Tea it is then." He said as pulled back the cowl. "Perhaps we should have just spoken more before, Edward."