Diabolical | T. Drake ✔

[32] Encounter In Alleytown

Tim missed the bus although not on purpose.

He thought of calling Jason again but then shrugged it off, deciding to go back home by himself. He knew if he reached Central District, he would find a cab to take him to Wayne Manor and that would be better than waiting for another bus to show up.

However, the shortcut he knew to Central Square would lead him through Alleytown and he would have to be on his guard.

He was accustomed to walking through the dark alleys of Gotham and had seen the worst the city could offer firsthand. He was no longer afraid of getting mugged or cornered by goons, he trusted himself to work his way out of it just like he had done so many times in the past.

But as he was passing Alleytown, he did find something unexpected.

Three GCPD vans were parked and examining what seemed to be a massacre. Five men dressed in what seemed to be ninja-like outfits were lying in a bloody mess, probably as an aftermath of an intense fight.

He looked around carefully, deciding he should go the other way and not directly into the crime scene. So he turned on his heel and stepped into an alley, intending to cross over to the other side silently.

He had not gone far when he stopped, realizing he was not alone in the dark passage.

He got alert, running the defensive moves taught to him by Richard and Steph through his head just in case someone snuck up on him and tried to abduct him.

But as he cautiously stepped further, he saw a girl hiding by the dumpster, and seeing him approach she quickly stood up and took a defensive stance. In the dark, he couldn't see clearly but it was evident that the girl was hurt.

She was about the same height as Tim, her features were covered with a mask and her shoulder-length hair were messed up and tangled. Her outfit seemed similar to those of the victims he had just seen out in the clearing and his first thought was that she too had been with them and gotten hurt in the fight.

Little did he know that girl was the reason those five were unresponsive.

"Are you hurt?" He asked in a low voice, holding his hands up to show her that he was not armed.

She didn't say anything in reply and she didn't even move a muscle as she stood frozen in front of him. But her dark eyes were observing him very closely as if reading each and every body movement of his to ascertain what he intended to do.

"I can take you to the hospital," he offered but saw her stiffen and took that reaction as a refusal, "okay, not the hospital then..."

He considered the possibility that she couldn't talk as she had been unnervingly silent. But right then he could see she needed help as her injuries were severe, so he thought of how to convince her that he did not mean any harm to her and only wanted to help.

As she had said nothing in reply, he decided to talk along with using sign language to see if she could pick up on it. Very carefully, he unzipped his bag and made sure that she was able to see what he was doing or else it might make her think he was taking out something to hurt her with.

From within he took out his small first aid kit that he always kept with him as an old habit that hadn't faded. He took out the gauze, pointed to her injuries then showed her what he meant by wrapping the bandage on his own hand.

"I can help you if you let me," he spoke softly, "please?"

She seemed to be a very good reader of body language and had arrived at the conclusion that Tim did not mean her any harm. So she stepped back and sat down on the ground again, nodding for him to step closer.