The Andrew Complex

TAC: 16

Previously:

But I turn around, a malicious smile on my lips. "Oh, please don't tell me that the reason you're holding back is because you're afraid I'm going to kill her?" Something flashes in his eyes and the smile widens on my lips. "I hope you know that I was planning to kill her either way, Wayne. And you should watch out because if they hear gunshots in this building, you're going to die. Let me out of here and maybe Lena's lifespan will lengthen." I say casually.

-----

Wayne's hesitation is enough for me to throw myself in front of him, disarm him and then clock him on the back of his head with his own weapon. His body falls to the ground, unconscious and a smile creeps onto my lips at my victory. I turn around and drop the gun beside him before chuckling to myself and exiting out the front door.

On the way out, I watch as a homeless man eyes me uncertainly. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch him get up and start shuffling towards me. I notice that his hair looks very clean for someone that isn't supposed to have access to a shower and I stop walking. I turn to stare at him and recognition sets in almost immediately. His jaw clenches and he shakes his head. However, instead of pulling out his weapon like anybody else would do, he sighs.

"Collin." He says curtly, nodding at me.

The soft, raspy voice instantly brings back memories and I step back, stunned. "Bernie?"

"Collin, the Waynes had nothing to do with -"

"So you're one of them, now." I say, ice leaking into my voice.

"Your father outcasted me, Collin. I didn't leave you -"

"It doesn't matter what happened. The Wayne family killed my -"

"They didn't." Bernie says, his eyes cold. "Your family was running crazy, Collin. They were raping, beating and drugging up everything. Your own mother -"

"Don't talk about my mother."

But Bernie lowers his voice and shakes his head. "Your own mother, Collin, was killed by them. You don't know what happened. The Wayne family didn't do anything to them. One night, they came to the base and started to shoot at everything. Almost a fourth of the people living in that building died that night. Even more were injured. And the Wayne that you're fighting against now - the one whose life you're trying to ruin - he doesn't deserve it. You don't even know for certain that the Wayne family wiped out yours. You don't know anything -"

"I know."

"You don't. The Wayne family did nothing to your family. They didn't kill anyone. To this day, we still don't know who killed them. And you - and you're just trying to kill an innocent civilian to make up for something that didn't happen."

Fury rises in me faster than the tide can come in. Who was he to try and tell me who and what killed my family? Who is he to tell me that my family didn't die because of the Wayne family? I'd like to think that I know better than anyone who killed my family.

"I know who killed them - it was the Wayne family. And you're an idiot to try and convince me otherwise. My family housed you when you had no one and here you are, switching allegiance. Never," I say, disgust heavy in my words, "did I ever think that you would end up supporting these idiots.

Bernie shakes his head forlornly, and shuts his eyes. "That Wayne boy was just as young as you when your family died. The Waynes weren't even in the Heights when it happened - can you even remember seeing any of them? Did you even see any of them?"

And, for the first time in this entire thing that I had been trying to achieve, I flinched and started to regret the things that I was doing. He was right, actually. I couldn't actually think of the Wayne family in the Heights at the time. I'd never actually seen a Wayne in the Heights when it had happened. You might be thinking, "Wow, why would you just accuse the Wayne family?" And right now, I'm trying to wonder why I had accused them as well.