The Midnight Case

Chapter 2 : And how exactly?

Potomac River, Washington D.C.

Sitting on a bench I and Katrina observed the lake as people jogged past us, enjoying the Sunday sun while Christian sipped on his to-go cup, sitting upright and pretending to observe the birds. A few minutes later a man approached, sitting beside Christian and I sensed him wearing a hoodie. "Why did you call me here?" I heard dad's voice.

"You've seen the news dad." I said, in a low whisper. "Shouldn't you have a sort of reaction?"

"Why do you think I'd be here?"

"What's the plan?" Christian asked, in a low whisper. "Isa's contact said that the king of Wakanda hasn't revealed the existence of vibranium, let alone of it's existence in the black market."

"I've heard that Isa's been granted full authorization by the king to deal with this sort of thing."

"Yes, he did. I told him beforehand that the case can't be entirely resolved." I replied dad's question. "He knew that when vibranium was smuggled out of the border problems will follow but now the gangs have gotten hold? Icing on the cake."

"Isa, my brother has escaped custody."

"What? When?"

"Last week, killed a couple of my men and escaped into the night."

"Oh no, double trouble." Katrina muttered.

"I want him found Isa. There must be a reason on why did he escape."

"I'll try my best dad."

"Don't try, do." He said. "My contacts' informed me that the crime bosses in Gotham City are having a meeting, an underground one."

"That would be a challenge sir." Katrina added. "It won't be easy in locating them."

"Isa, you remember Adam Haynes?"

"He was my contact. He gave you the slip?"

"I wouldn't know if not for him that the bosses were meeting in secret."

"I'll get in touch with him." I said.

"Be careful out there, we're in muddy waters now." Dad said before standing up and leaving.

"Adam Haynes?" Chris questioned.

"My private eye contact. Business man by day, private eye and informant by night."

"You know something Isa, you have so much men in your life and I begin to wonder that do you have female friends in life?"

"I don't have much." I replied. "They're just popular girls that tried to befriend me to be more popular."

"No wonder your cousins called you the Ice Queen in your high school."

"Yeah." I muttered a response. My phone then vibrated and I answered the call that I didn't recognize the caller is. "Who is this?" The caller didn't reply and I turned down the call in respond.

"Spam number?" Katrina asked with a smirk.

"Looks that way." I said.

"Go to Gotham City." Chris reminded me. "We can investigate the case from the source."

"Sure." We replied in unison.

Half an hour later

Standing in my room I adjusted the tunic of my assassin battle suit while the long sword remained sheathed in the scabbard strapped to my back. Roman Sionis feared me and I will use that fear against him to gauge info from him. I thought as I artfully drew the sword and examined the blade through my reflection in the mirror. Looking at my reflection I see myself more like an assassin rather than the mild-mannered woman the public recognized me as. The face mask that concealed the lower half of my face and the black hood concealing my hair emphasizes stealth rather than head on combat. The quiver and arrows remained in the leather quiver too strapped to the back of the suit, the silver arrow heads shimmering in the dark.

Then someone knocked. "Are you done yet?" Asked Katrina. "We're ready to go." She urged. Carefully unsheathing the sword I stepped out of the room as the door opened. "Woah, you look menacing." She said. "No wonder your enemies fear you in this."

"Aren't I always to them?" I questioned. "This time I prefer a more stealthier approach."

"I respect that." She said. "It's time to go. The city awaits for our arrival."

"Yes. Let's." I replied.

"Guys, I've got a mail from Christina and Adrian." Chan said, appearing at the doorway. "The mail says that they're flying here."

"Okay, just direct them to our coordinates when they landed."

"I'll be in the lab, being the tech support again." He said.

"Keep the comms clear. Stay connected, we're heading there now." Stepping into the open-air quinjet bay the aircraft hummed to life as the hatch lowered automatically. "We should be in Gotham within half an hour." I told Chris and Katrina as we buckled in our seats.

"Hope that the city didn't become a wasteland of sort." Katrina snorted in respond.

"I didn't supply the tech needed to Gotham. What you have said is probably true." I said in respond.

Gotham City

The quinjet past the city as we observed the scenery. The city seemed peaceful, lights shimmering in the night skies, Wayne Tower with the logo shining and the office floors empty. "It's just like New York but smaller."

"I have a safehouse here. Just in case things like this goes down." I said.

"Wow, how did you get all this? You have a lot of secrets and safehouses and you never explained why."

"Over the years I have spent time building up connections and having hiding places around the world. I have my own bank balance to cover up the expenses. My father has been paying child support until I turned eighteenth, financially stable." Chris' jaw practically dropped in response as Katrina's eyes went wide as saucers.

"Your father's still alive?" Katrina asked.

"Yes, why? You thought that he's dead?"

"Wait, isn't your father Tony Stark?"

"Yes, we rarely kept in touch." I said, my brows arching. "He knew the problem itself but still we never met and talk about it."

"Wow, talk about strangers. No wonder your adopted father treated you so well."

"He was my mother's first love." I admitted. "She told him about my birth."

"And he promised her to look after you?"

"Not until we met for the first time I knew about it."

"We'll try to ask the details later. Where's the meeting going to take place?"

"Sionis Industries, not very subtle if you ask me." I said. "I have an old enemy who owns this place."

"Old enemy?"

"Look, there's limos speeding down the streets." Chris said. After pulling up the camera feed to get a closer look I saw the windows of the vehicles are tinted in black. "Crime bosses' limos no doubt. Activating stealth and track mode." The dashboard hummed to life, presenting a map and several dots below us.