Batfamily (1): Black Cub (Dick Grayson x OC)

Chapter 28: I think so

Dick Grayson

Catalina glared up at the large warehouse. "I'm not happy about being back here." I nodded and pulled my helmet off my head.

"Trust me. The feeling is mutual." Catalina moved toward the window that we'd made our entrance and escape from last time. I followed her as soon as I made sure my bike was hidden from sight. Catalina's body was tense. "What's wrong?" She glanced over at me. Her green eyes stood out in the darkness.

"It's really quiet." I paused and listened. She was right, I didn't hear any noise coming from the warehouse. "It shouldn't be this quiet." I shook my head.

"It shouldn't. But this is the only lead we have." Catalina scowled and unsheathed her claws.

"I should just go back to robbing jewelry stores." She mumbled under her breath before accepting my boost up. Once she was in the window again, she hauled me up and inside next to her. There was no one in the warehouse. It was completely empty of the armed guards, the music maker, even her throne was gone. The only thing left was all of the boxes. Both of us crept forward until we were at the railing again.

"See? She's not even not here. We had nothing to be worried about." I was disappointed. Music Maker was getting under both our skin and the comment about robbing again made me annoyed. Catalina shot me a look, trying to read my face. Finally she sighed deeply and slipped from my side. "Cat!" I hissed. But she was only gone for a few minutes when she returned, cradling a small box.

"Look at this." She lifted the box up and twisted it for me to see. Written in bold black letters read, Knock once for the Father. I shrugged my shoulders.

"So she may be a religious cult leader. What does that matter?" Then I narrowed my eyes. "Wait, didn't she sing that/ When we met her?" She shook her head.

"I don't know but they have tons of these boxes alone. The other two sized boxes all have writing like this on them too." I looked closer at the box.

"What's in it?" She shrugged and then flexed her fingers. Her claws shot out again and she gently started prying the box open. She sighed as the box lid finally came loose. She pulled the lid off and flexed her fingers and the claws went back into her gloves. Inside was a music note pendant attached to a slender black chain. Catalina gently pulled the pendant out of the box and twisted it to catch the light. It looked like a normal necklace. Just a shiny black music note on a black chain. Catalina brought it closer to her face.

"So this is the reason I can't get a good night's sleep." I reached over and took it from her. Her eyes followed the necklace.

"It looks like a normal necklace. I don't see why it should have done what it did to you. Or be causing anything else weird to be happening in Gotham." I pulled up the small holographic screen from arm brace and began to scan the necklace.

"Can you do that and walk?" Catalina whispered to me. I nodded and glanced up at her.

"Why?" She stood up, looking down at the warehouse floor.

"I want to look into the other two boxes. Let's go." We walked over to the ladder and Catalina dropped down on top of one of the largest boxes. Written in bold stencil letters across her box was, Three Times for the Holy Ghost. "This is ridiculous." She panted as she began to work to open the box. "Why would she need it to be this shut up?"

"Dunno." I glanced at the medium sized boxes imblazed with Twice for the Son. My scan of the necklace was finally finished and I frowned at the flickering blue screen. "There's tech inside the necklace. Catalina looked up from the box.

"What?" I nodded and inspected the music note again. Sure enough, I found the razor thin seam and carefully pried it open. The inside the small pendant was crammed full of glittering blue tech.

"Dude." I breathed. "That's complex."

"I love you, babe." Catalina grunted as she ripped up a corner of the box she was standing on. "But you have to be louder when you're making observations-" She was cut off as part of the top of the box Catalina was standing on exploded. Something large and furry lept out, snarling. Catalina stumbled backward and unsheathed her claws as she went. The thing or person, I couldn't really tell, it was moving to fast, howled at Catalina before jumping up onto the catwalk and crashing through the skylight to the roof. We hear the scrap of the metal sheeting as it leapt from the roof to the ground. "What the hell was that?" Catalina asked. Her voice was shaking.

"I have no idea. Was it living in the box." Catalina gingerly walked over to peer down into the box. Her face darkened.

"I think so."