Hive of Scum and Villainy

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Bruce Wayne’s private jet was more than a rich man’s toy, designed for the military, it put speed and stealth ahead of comfort, and it had them landing in Dallas in under two hours. The stealth technology kept them off the radar, while the vectored thrusters allowed for a vertical take-off and landing, negating the need for a runway.

Felicity guided them as close to the GPS signal as she could. When she found another two GPS signals in the same immediate area, also registered to burner phones, they knew they had the right location. Felicity told them that it was an abandoned farmhouse, about thirty miles from the nearest town and barely habitable.

They landed the jet behind a ridge and hiked the rest of the way, using the trees as cover.

“We’re in place,” Oliver told Felicity.

“Got it. Cell towers are down so they can't call out.”

“We’re up,” Oliver said to Bruce. Both men had a glint in their eyes, one that said they were looking forward to the ensuing fight.

Unfortunately, the fight didn’t last long and the kidnappers were quickly subdued. The first, guarding the perimeter of the house, was taken down using tranquiliser dart. As soon as he was out, they moved inside, which was made considerably easier than it might have been, thanks to Bruce’s thermal imaging binoculars. The children were in an upstairs room, while the other two kidnappers were in the kitchen, sitting at a makeshift table. The element of surprise ensured they were subdued in under a minute. After having their burner phones taken, all three captors were then zip ties to post with the least amount of rot, where they would stay until Felicity alerted the local police.

The children were thrilled, not only to have been rescued, but by superheroes no less. They looked underfed and unwashed but otherwise, unharmed.

Once back in the jet, Bruce gave them a lollypop which knocked them out, much to Oliver’s ire.

“You don’t drug kids!” he yelled when he realised what had happened.

“You do when it’s in their best interests. They can't go back to their parents yet and they won’t be happy being kept away, essentially held prisoner again. In the long run, this is kinder.”

Oliver dropped it since he couldn’t counter act the drug’s effects, even if he had wanted to. Instead, he focused on ending this as soon as possible.

“How long till we’re back at the warehouse outside of Starling?” Oliver asked.

“Thirty minutes.”

Oliver got the burner phones out. “They’re secured with a pin code.”

“Felicity will be able to break it.”

“I’m sure she will,” Oliver agreed.

They sat in stony silence, until Bruce broke it.

“I get that you have feelings for her, and I get why. What I don’t get, is why you won’t act on them.”

“You see nothing wrong with knocking children out, of course you wouldn’t get it.”

“Oliver, she loves you. I know you pretend to be clueless but you aren’t that clueless.”

Oliver didn’t answer and Bruce gave up. Silence reigned for a few long minutes.

“I’m no good for someone like her,” he finally admitted. “She deserves better.”

“Someone like me?” Bruce looked over at him, a smile on his lips.

“You weren’t exactly what I had in mind.”