𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱'𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 (𝗠𝗮𝗳𝗶𝗮!𝗡𝗶𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘂)

19

niki stepped away from the cart and rail system with wobbly bones but was able to walk it off quickly when she entered the next door. people were bustling past like worker ants, barely even noticing niki when she appeared in the tiny hallway.

she was a little taken aback but damn her if she would crack under pressure. niki decided to keep her head down and walk fast like everyone else.

everyone was wearing a bulky earpiece with a clear wire that spiraled down into a pocket or shirt. nobody was wearing bulletproof vests or cargo pants or gun holsters.

alright then. she'd have to steal an earpiece or find the wire for her own earpiece in one of her pockets and hook it up in a storage closet. puffy would probably get to her immediately so maybe she should just turn it off altogether and go for the look. that was of course her solution.

a door up here was labeled 'janitorial' and nobody was even glancing at it when they passed.

perfect.

niki slipped in, pulling out her earpiece as she did and closing the door securely behind her before giving the cramped room a once-over. a broom, a mop and bucket, and other cleaning supplies were stuck haphazardly all over. there was even a little metal cabinet that held the stronger stuff.

so niki got to work. after five minutes of fiddling with the little mould of plastic and the too-big wiring, niki sighed and stripped back some of the plastic to jam it in right. sound crackled through it immediately and it jarred her after complete silence.

"-lease go thro- niki?" puffy's familiar voice comforted niki as she knelt on dirty concrete.

"puffy!" she whispered back joyfully.

"dammit, woman, you've been worrying me!" the crackly voice rose angrily. niki chewed on her lip and nodded.

"i know, i'm sorry. i should've said something but i was really in the moment-"

"shh. shut up. i'm trying to find you so minx can get you out."

"about that, um, i'm in some kind of cleaning closet in damian's... hideout? basement? secret lair sounds too cool, this place is shitty," niki said softly, keeping an eye on the door.

"... i hate you so much."

"yeah, i'm sorry. i don't think it's a good idea to send in an entire team, even. this is the main place, right? so gather everyone you can and then make your move. preferably not from the way i came because there's a huge ass railway that only carries like two people at a time," niki advised.
"plus, i can look around this place in the meantime."

"don't start making good points on me," puffy grumbled, her chair squeaking in the background as she leaned back in exasperation.
"fine. i'll get minx to fall back. good luck."

niki smiled. "you too, cap." a few seconds passed and niki expected the crackling of an open line would disappear. it didn't.
"why are you still on the call?"

"i'm not leaving you alone again, honey. you'll get yourself killed," puffy snorted. "you said you were in a cleaner closet, right? are there any extra uniforms?"

niki went quiet and started searching for some clothing, realizing that it was a good idea but not wanting to say it. the metal cabinet opened easily, the lock something a child could break, and niki found them.

navy blue and gray uniforms of loose fit were stacked on one side with what looked like bottles of acid on the other side.

"found uniforms."

"great. don't lose the bulletproof vest so maybe put it underneath a shirt," puffy instructed, bypassing damian's cyber barriers easily once she figured out the system they used.
"ooh. did you know that you are about five miles west of the village? you know it as the slums but yeah?"