---Ninja's POV---
“And you left her at the Wayne Mansion?” He paced before me in the abandoned warehouse. The smell of mold and mildew was everywhere, attacking my senses and setting me off of the very early breakfast I’d had that morning.
“Yes sir.” I answered as calmly and respectfully as I could. “She was inside the building right as I left the grounds.” My eyes darted around quickly, taking in the mad-scientist looking tables and glowing green pools behind him. The light from the unnatural waters cast evil looking shadows along the walls and upon the Demon’s face.
“Do you know where she would be now?” His voice sincerely curious and lacking the normal threat that he held special for these kinds of moments.
“She will be searching for the item you seek.” Ra’s al Ghul stopped his pacing to glare at me.
“Of course she is you fool! My question was aimed for a more specific answer. I have combed this city looking for what Nigma had them steal from me,” his voice now three times louder and five times more violent. His eyes burned into mine and I had to quickly look away before my staring upset him.
“Where ever she is, she will find it.” I offered quietly, earning a chuckle in response.
“I know she will,” he smiled and gazed off into the distance. “Because she doesn’t want to die. My true worry is that she’ll find it, and die before I can cure her.” His eyes found mine again and I now understood his reasoning for the sudden and strange concern of her whereabouts; the Demon needed to know where she was so that he didn’t loose her.
“I shall go search for her.” I bowed and turned to leave.
“Good. You seem to be the only one of my assassins that can successfully find her,” he muttered to himself more than anything.
I quickly found the door at the front of the spacious building and threw it open. The cold wind nearly blasted me back inside; nearly. I pulled my black jacket tighter around me and started on my way to the heart of Gotham.
You seem to be the only one of my assassins that can successfully find her.
Maybe that had something to do with how she was more a mystery than smoke; how I couldn’t quite figure her out. All my life, I’d known how to read people and expect what they’d do, but not with this one. It frustrated me that she was able to surprise me after all the training I’d received from the Demon himself. Why could this one girl elude me constantly?
It’s probably that smirk, I thought to myself. I had a weakness for mischief, and it was obvious that she was full of it; that being the only trait I could pin on her.
Once I reached the center of the city, near the park, I saw her pick herself off the ground and start to walk away; but not before smirking at something. I turned my head to the side to see a younger boy watching her walk away before answering a phone call. I turned back to look at where the mysteriously mischievous girl had disappeared to. She had hopped onto a motorcycle and sped off towards a quieter part of town. I jogged over a couple streets to try and keep an eye on her retreating figure.
---
After jogging another couple of blocks, I found her motorcycle parked behind a dumpster near a manhole. One of her bags was open and I could see she’d discarded her black flats by the metal lid; lying to the side of the hole. I rolled up my sleeves before descending into dark sewer tunnels of Gotham. It wasn’t too bad until my feet hit the slippery cement at the bottom.
The darkness didn’t bother me; Ra’s had trained us in darker places, so sight was not a problem. What bothered me was the unnatural silence of everything. It sounded as if all living things had been removed from the earth and this is what was left. The normally running waters that moved the waste of Gotham were still, and it unnerved me.
I stood there for a few seconds, waiting for something to encourage me to move deeper inward. Then it came, the sound of something, or someone, falling down the tunnel to my right. I quickly ran to where the sound had originated from. I wasn’t the only thing to hear it either, because another set of footfalls echoed down the vast tunnel system. These steps were heavier and the stride was longer than mine. I quickened my pace to try and arrive before whatever else did.
Turning a corner I could see nothing but a flashlight, laying on its side and facing the far wall. I scanned every corner of the room before approaching the light and picking it up. The shaft was green with purple figures on it; must be Riddler’s. There was no other trace that anything human had been down here other than this single object. I pulled a radio out of my pocket and turned it on before bringing it to my mouth and pressing the button.
“Base, we’ve got a problem.” I, again, began searching the room I was in. There was a little bit of static before Talia’s voice came on.
“What kind of problem?” She sounded anything but happy.
“Unless The Riddler likes taking strolls through the sewer, we’ve lost Katrina.”
“What do you mean we’ve lost Katrina?” She spoke slowly and deliberately, warning me that her father was around.
“I heard something fall in the sewer and when I arrived where the sound had originated from I found one of Riddler’s flashlights on the ground. While I was approaching who I assumed to be Katrina, another set of footsteps was heard.”
“Whom did they belong to?” Ra’s asked, sounding completely relaxed.
“I am not sure. They were heavy and the stride was wide; possibly Waylon or Grundy.” There was a moment of static-silence before Talia spoke.
“I think it’s time to pay a visit to the good doctor.” The radio clicked off and I was left to ponder just who it was she was referring too as I walked back to the ladder that would lead me up top.
---Kat’s POV---
“Ugh.” I moaned, blinking a couple times before my eyes adjusted to the dim light. Where the hell was I? I turned my head to the right and left, seeing only curving brick walls. “The sewers,” I muttered, feeling my chest tighten again for a brief period. “I’m in the sewers.”
I slowly worked my way to a sitting position, holding my head to keep from vomiting. The world was still spinning rapidly around me, making it nearly impossible to tell what was around me. My breathing was back to normal and my chest didn’t hurt too badly, so that was something to be optimistic about.
“I wouldn’t move too much if I were you.” A deep and somewhat creepy voice said from behind me; I froze. Not knowing what I was up against, I decided to play nice and keep my tongue in check.
“If you were I and I were you, what would I do?” My voice cracked and it actually hurt to say that small amount. My body was weaker than it normally was. The unidentified person just chuckled and stood up off of some stool. They slowly approached and came into my line of view. Their skin was an unnatural green and looked to be cracked; almost scale like.
“First, I’d stop trying to be Riddler’s little companion,” he grinned down at me. “Second, I’d lie back down until my body was strong enough to support itself.” Waylon put a hand on the back of my head and helped to lay me back down gently. “Long time no see Katrina.”
“I thought you liked staying in Arkham?” I smiled up at my old… friend? He laughed and pulled a metal stool out from a corner before sitting down near me.
“I thought you liked staying out of trouble?” Waylon countered with the same grin on his face. “Heard about the wedding, very sorry.” He sounded pretty sincere, and his body language wasn’t threatening.
“Trouble seems to come running at me with an eighteen wheeler these days.” I sighed. “And about the wedding, he’s getting his soon.” I glared up at the ceiling for a moment, then I turned my attention back to the disfigured man next to me. “How did you find me?”
“Really easy to smell southern belle down here.” He joked. “Your footsteps are softer than most, but still loud and out of place in the sewer. I’m quite surprised the zombie didn’t find you first,” he humphed to himself. We sat in silence for a while as I tried to make the world stop spinning. After a few more minutes everything stood still and I was able to sit up properly.
I was in yet another intersection of brick tunnels; only there were a few structures in the midst of the rushing water. I sat on top of the tallest, either a bed or slaughter table.
“So, Waylon,” I started casually. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen a really old looking wooden box would you? It’s got all kinds of intricate carvings on the side.”
“Why are you looking for it?” He raised an eyebrow, almost hesitant to even ask me.
“Ra’s needs it back.” I sighed. “My parents stole it for Edward, but hid it before it reached him. As you can probably tell, my body’s falling in on itself. Ra’s has offered me a cure if I can return to him what was stolen.”
“If your parents stole it for the smartest being in Gotham, from the most dangerous being in Gotham, and have hidden it successfully for all these years, don’t you think there’s a reason they hid it?” Waylon gave me an Edward look; one of utter disbelief that anyone would be so stupid.
“Of course I do!” I nearly yelled. “But frankly, I don’t want to die right now!” My heart sped up and my head started to hurt again. I counted to four breathing in and out, trying to remain calm and not pass out… again.
“And so you came down into the sewer, alone, to look for something while you’re dying.” He mused. “That makes sense.” I rolled my eyes and just sat there.
“Are you going to help me or not?” I asked one more time, sincerely hoping he would. He sat there for a minute in silence, staring off into the darkness of one of the tunnels. When he looked at me I could see the curiosity and turmoil in his eyes.
“Your parents were strange people.” He said quietly. “They made enemies of everyone, save Edward. It’s odd to see how their daughter is so different from them, yet so alike.” He seemed to be talking to someone else, but there was no one else here… I hope. “Why is it your family is draw to riddles and mysteries; secrets?”
“I… I don’t know.” I stuttered, shaking my head. “Daddy always loved them, momma didn’t too much. Even eye spy, she loathed the game.” I smirked to myself before making eye contact again. “My parents knew that I’d be looking for this thing. They left a note in the wall of my house saying that there were three people looking for it; Me, Ra’s, and Edward.” I ticked the three of us off on my fingers. “How come they’re smart enough to be years ahead of everyone and I’m too slow to figure anything out?”
“I don’t believe you’re as slow as you think you are.” Waylon sounded much older than he was, wiser than anyone would give him credit for. “I think you know exactly where that box is. I also believe you’re forcing yourself to be oblivious to it’s location because you know nothing good will come of it. Look, I know I’m not one to preach about doing what’s right and such, but I don’t want to see you get killed from either side.” He offered a smile and I returned it kindly.
“Thank you Waylon,” I scooted to the edge of the brick structure before hopping off, landing on the concrete side of the water. “I’ll be careful, but I’m going to live longer than eighteen.”
“Katrina, be careful. I won’t always be out there to save you from your attack,” he called after me.
“I know!” I grinned to myself. “Soon you won’t have to be.” I muttered to myself as I ran into the dark, knowing exactly where the box had been hidden.
---
The water rushed around the shore, sending chills down my spine. I looked up at the great waterfall that pushed the water across the rocky sand under my feet. It was cold, beautiful, and definitely wet. I had found my bike and bags a few streets down from where I had surfaced after my talk with Waylon, heading over to this beauty on Wayne property. I didn’t bother changing earlier, the thinner the clothes the better; I don’t want to tote around heavy wet clothes after this. I waded deeper into the freezing waters, feeling the spray on my face. My teeth started to chatter one I was chest deep, having to start swimming. To go straight underneath the fall was almost surely suicide. The force of the water could possibly break something or just shove me beneath the surface, drowning me. Just as I was about to swim back and give up for tonight, I saw a small opening in the wall of water. A few feet up there were a few rocks that protruded just enough to break the flow. I grinned and swam for the small opening, making it through without a problem.
There was a small grotto back here, as I suspected; the perfect hiding place. I found a small rock ledge that would allow me to stand above the water. My body shook from the intense cold, I was already starting to loose feeling in my hands. Scanning the stonewalls, I tried to think of where you could possibly hide a box of wood without damaging it or it’s contents.
Foolishly, I took a step backwards and fell into the water. It felt like a million tiny daggers stabbed into my skin, sharpening my senses tremendously. I flailed about in the water for a while, trying to get back to the surface. I somehow ended up going deeper into the water and getting tangled up in a chain. A chain? I grabbed onto it and followed it upwards. My newfound excitement seemed to block out my need for breath because that normal burning sensation altogether left. The chain leads to a metal box in the side of the rock. I gave I a few tugs and the rock shifted, freeing the box. The thing about metal boxes is they like to sink.
I started sinking with it and I guess my adrenaline spiked or something. One minute I’m falling deeper into the cold darkness and the next I’m back on the rock ledge. Gasping for air, I looked around to see if anyone had heard or seen anything this entire time.
“What in the hellwere you thinking?” A voice growled from my left. I yelped and jumped a little in the water, turning to see Tim Drake lying beside me. He was wearing a now drenched school uniform from some fancy looking school.
“To be quite honest,” I smiled over at him. “I wasn’t.” I laughed for a minute, sitting up to look at the box in my lap. “I wasn’t thinking at all.”
“I could tell as much.” He raised an eyebrow and sat up beside me. “What is that?”
“My salvation.” I breathed, unlatching it and pulling the lid back. Inside, in pristine condition, sat a beautifully carved box that held yet another secret locked inside. I pulled it out and started flipping it around, trying to find the place to open it.
“What in the world is that?” Tim breathed next to me. I froze and slowly turned to look at him.
“None of your business.” I glared at him slightly. Why had I opened this in front of him? He’s bound to tell Bruce or someone, allowing Ra’s to find it and me.
“Seeing as I just saved your life, I think it is my business.” He frowned at me. I pushed the metal box off of my lap, letting it sink back to it’s grave.
“Help me get this safely across the water and I just might tell you.” I challenged, he nodded and offered to hold it. “If you run for it, I will find you and I will make you regret it.”
“I get it.” He smirked at me before slowly taking it from me and then grabbing my wrist. “Let’s get you back on the shore.” He said before carrying both the box and I across the water. We were out of the water in minutes and I quickly took the box back, studying him carefully. There was a new light in his eyes when he looked at me, like he knew something.
“So, Tim. Did my Uncle tell you who I was yet?” I asked as bluntly as possible; no need to beat around the bush.
“More or less.” He shrugged, sitting down cross-legged. “So, tell me, what is this?”
“This,” I sighed. “Is something of much controversy apparently. The important thing right now is that I find out what’s in it before anyone else finds out I have it.” I muttered, turning the box in my hands.
It wasn’t that big at all, easily the size of a small computer. When I flipped to the second of the larger sides, there were three heart shaped indentions on it, completely going against the original patters.
“You sly dogs.” I grinned to myself. Tim looked at me as if I were the Joker as I ran to my bags, searching desperately for my necklace. “You sly, sly dogs!” I nearly squealed as I pulled out my choker and chain.
The gold, silver, and amber keys, along with their matching heart locks, gleamed in the moonlight as if they were made of some mystical metals. I put the box on the seat of my motorcycle, and then proceeded to place the hearts in the crevices they were made for. As each one was laid in it’s spot, I could hear something lock them into place. Tim approached me, but never interrupted what I was doing. After all three of the hearts were in place, I took the keys and unlocked each one. There were a few distinct clicks and before I knew it the panel popped out.
“What is this?” Tim sounded overly nervous and concerned. I lifted the lid and looked inside, gasping.
“Oh my gosh.” I breathed, staring in horror at what I found. Tim looked over my shoulder and I could feel him tense up behind me. I reached in and pulled out the blue vial.
“Why do I have a feeling that that is something I don’t want to know about?” He whispered.
“Because this,” I turned to him with fear very evident in my eyes. “This will kill the entire world.”