Trickery (A Damian Wayne Story)

Todd

I send a grappling hook onto a light post, jumping up and balancing on top. My eyes scan the street. I'm safely hidden against the glare of the bright lamp, searching for the arms dealer. I spot him come out of the building, running at full tilt across the street and safe into the darkness that swallows him in the alleyway. I grappling to the building he just went in between, running around the edge of the roof and leaping to the next building.

Shots fire into the night. The arms dealer has a gun out, two actually, and he's firing down the alley from behind a dumpster. The people chasing him duck behind a door. One goes down with an agonizing scream, and that's when I leap into action.

A knife reaches the arms dealer before my batarang does. I look up, watching a certain red hood disappear down the side of another building. I want to spit curses at him, but don't. He's made himself known, but that doesn't mean I have to, too. He might not even know I'm here, though that's doubtful. Todd has a way of getting in the way of my business.

I turn towards the men chasing the dealer, jumping down on top of one as he takes aim down the brick corridor. I kick the gun out of the hands of another, spinning to wind a rope around his ankles. He takes a step, but falls to his face. I lash out behind me, sweeping my leg around and sending a third man to his stomach.

Another gunshot echoes through the air, and sirens start up across town. Two more shots, and a scream. Alarm spikes through me at the same time as someone's grabs my ankle, tugging me backwards. I kick out, follow through with a sharp right hook to the jaw and the guy is out cold. The others stare at me, backing themselves against the wall. I yank out handcuffs and cuff them together, making sure their feet are tied so they can't get away. The police can figure out what to do with them.

I race down the alley, jumping up onto the back of the arms dealer. His bald head swings back, slamming into my chin. My grip loosens and he's able to throw me off, into the dumpster he was hiding behind. I fall to the ground with a groan, staring up at him. A glance to the left shows Todd on his back, eyes unfocused. In a flurry of kicks I send the arms dealer's remaining gun into the wall. It goes off, a deafening sound, shooting the bullet into the wall a little ways down.

I'm on my feet in an instant, jumping up to kick the bald man's stupid head. I grab him as he tilts backwards, sending my knee into his gut twice, then finish him off by stomping on his leg. The guy screams in pain, falling to the ground. Despite everything he still manages to clutch at his leg, nose bleeding, ribs probably cracked.

"Red Hood," I say, a question.

"I'm peachy," Todd grunts out.

I haul the arms dealer over to the edge of the alley, securing him with the rest of the goons that were chasing him. I help Todd to his feet. He's groaning, hunched over in pain, but I don't see any blood, which is a good sign.

"You're an idiot," I tell him as we limp away from the scene.

"You should be thanking me," Todd retorts.

I scoff, "If you hadn't shown up this would have been a lot cleaner."

"Cleaner?" Todd says, incredulous. We stop for a moment and he stands to the side, arms crossed. He glares, "Listen up, tater tot. I helped you."

"You took out zero guys."

Todd opens his mouth to say something, but a shadow besides him shifts. The gunshot rings out as I dive forward, tackling him back into the wall. I spin as we go down, sending a smoke screen down the alley, then grab him by the elbow and drag him out onto the street. I shoot upwards with my grappling hook. We leap onto the roof of another building, more shots following us.

I peer over the edge of the roof, watching the police pull up directly in front of the guy who was following us. He raises his arms in surrender and drops the gun.

"Let's get out of here," Todd suggests.

I watch him walk away, clench my jaw. "Did Grayson put you up to this? I didn't know you did favors for him now." I say. He turns.

"Yes well it's time to go home brat," he says, spitting the epitaph out. "Now let's go."

A dark shape swoops down; a net flying out of a plane, outstretched like a hug. "Look out!" I yell, but too late. The net encases Todd, cinching around him tightly. I leap towards him, pulling out a batarang to throw and slice the rope that's pulling taught as the plane dips away. Todd lifts up, slightly, but then slams back to the ground. I cut the net that surrounds him, ripping it open, scanning the skies, but the plane is gone.

Todd blinks at the night, "Thanks," he says, sounding surprised.

I look around once more, hearing a faint hum from the quiet jet. My eyes narrow. "Where are you?" WHAM! I'm hit with the full force of a freight train, bouncing along the ground until I hit the edge of the roof. But it's not the roof. It's a cargo hold. I feel the plane gain altitude, watch the scooped door shut under me. The plane banks to the side, sending Todd and I crashing backwards. His limp body falls onto mine.

I scramble to my feet, shoving him off me, climbing through the plane to where Father's bat mask pokes out above his chair. I reach for it and tug it off his stupid face, "I'm not a child, Father!" I shout as the mask comes clean off and the plane rises up. I fall back a few feet, but catch myself, spider-like, with all fours pressing against the narrow plane. "I can handle both me and Todd."

"Wanna bet?"

The voice comes from behind me and leaves my blood running cold. I spin around, taking in the orange and black uniform, the eye patch, grey hair.

"Slade," I growl.

"And me too."

I spin around so fast I'm surprised I don't get whiplash. My eyes widen in shock. "M-mother?"

I take a step forward- "Oh no you don't, kid." Slade slams something against the side of my head, and the world recedes around me.