*I'm so sorry for the long wait! I hope you all enjoy the chapter! Reads, votes, comments, and feedback are all greatly appreciated! (Can you spot 'The Dark Knight Rises' reference?)*
"So, you want me to blow up a building or...?" Selina asked, toying with the diamond necklace that seemed to dangle from her fingertips. Her apartment was slightly warmer than during my previous visit, the sun coming in at just the right angle.
"No," I said, reclining further into the couch, "I know that you know how to contact him. He has something I need." Selina rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Look, I may not be his biggest threat, and we may not exactly be enemies, but you're asking me to risk getting caught and sent back to Arkham–"
"Phoenix will be there if things go sour. I'll confront Batman, and you'll escape with her," I explained, and Nix poked her head out of the kitchen to give Selina a lopsided smile and a thumbs up. Selina was quiet for a few moments, her gaze calculative as she stared me down.
"Fine," she muttered, slipping the necklace down into the rotten cushion of the chair. "When do you want to do this?"
"As soon as possible," I replied, keeping the relief I felt, excellently masked. "Tonight, ideally. I heard he's more of a nocturnal person, anyway."
"He's not the only one, honey," Selina purred, standing and stretching her arms above her head. Her hair tumbled from her bun and splayed against the back of her black cat suit. I was beginning to think she lived in it. "I'll go and contact him. Did you have a time in mind?"
"You have to go somewhere? What, does he not have a cellphone or something?" Nix called from the kitchen. I couldn't help but laugh, while Selina shot a flat look toward the kitchen's doorway.
"Time?" she bit out, but the slight amusement was clear in her tone.
"Give him a window between eleven p.m. and three a.m. I know how busy he can be chasing down overdo library books," I quipped, and she just barely contained her scoff. "Come on, Nix!" Phoenix meandered out of the kitchen as I made for the door, a box of crackers in her hand. I just shook my head, not failing to catch the cat burglar's wry smile, before slipping outside. Tonight's meeting would be interesting.
~~~~~~
It felt like snow– the air was crisp, the wind light but cutting. I was perched on a low rooftop next to Selina, eyes closed as I listened to the hum of the city. I caught bits and pieces of conversation:
"I ordered blue–"
"I love her–"
"Chicken nuggets, again?!"
I strained my ears, filtering out the cacophony of voices to try and single out approaching footsteps. The Bat would be traveling by rooftop, and though he was light on his feet, he was by no means undetectable. Nix's heartbeat thrummed steadily below, the sound easily heard from where she was crouched in an empty alleyway. It was half past twelve– we could be in for another three hours of waiting. I fell back onto my haunches, sticking my hands into the hoodie I had 'borrowed' from a local thrift shop. It was dark gray, faux-fur lined, and about one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I'd ever worn. Well, besides the leggings Selina had leant me– they were amazing.
"If my hands start going numb, I'm out of here," Selina muttered, but there was little conviction behind her words. She had faith that he'd be here sooner rather than later.
"So, how long have you known him?" I asked, after another fifteen minutes of silence.
"Long enough," Selina replied, purposely evasive.
"He's that annoying, huh?" I laughed.
"He's...complicated. Lost his way a few times and used me as his unpaid psychologist," she answered, shrugging. There was something else there, just on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't offer up any more information. I didn't push it.
"He needs to take advantage of some cough drops, and then maybe a psychiatrist."
"Like I said, he's complicated," she chuckled. I smiled, turning my gaze toward the sky. No moon could be seen, the cloud cover definitely indicating some sort of precipitation. I began scanning the horizon when a small...dot, caught my eye. It was black, and the size of a fly from this distance. It arched upwards over the buildings in the distance, reached it's summit, then started careening back towards earth. It gained sized, but not much as it hurtled toward the ground; I noticed a moment too late what it was, and that it was heading straight for us.
"Grenade!" I shrieked, grabbing Selina by the arm, turning, and darting toward the opposite end of the building in one swift movement. I heard the grenade hit the roof and threw myself in front of Selina right as it detonated, sending us both flying. I maneuvered myself underneath her while mid-air, and we hit the ground with a sickening smack. I immediately took stock of my injuries: three broken ribs, shattered ankle, fractured elbow, bruises: multiple. I groaned in pain as Selina shot to her feet, rubble littering her hair and a small cut staining her cheek crimson.
"I thought you said that guy didn't kill?!" Nix shrieked, and she was suddenly by my side, helping me up.
"That wasn't the Bat," I ground out, hearing my bones shift and creak as the nanos tried to knit them back together. I was grateful that my ribs had punctured anything– yet.
"Footsteps. Three sets, closing in fast," Nix breathed out.
"Shit," I spat, clutching at my chest as I looked around. "Selina, you need to run. If they find you here, they will kill you. Contact Batman, find him, make sure he does not make it here." She made no move to leave, staring at me in a mix of shock and barely concealed fear. "GO!" I screamed, shoving her with my good arm. She stayed for a second longer before darting down the alleyway, onto the street, and then out of sight. Phoenix made a move to follow her, hoisting one of my arms over her shoulders. The sudden movement shifted one of my healing ribs and it hit something, sending a rippling wave of agony through me. A few moments later, I coughed, sending a slick of crimson out on the pavement.
"Fuck, Z, come on–"
"Nice to see you ladies again," was all I heard before Nix's supporting weight was gone. I tumbled forward, catching myself with my hands, my elbow shrieking in disagreement of the action. I whipped my head around to see the two men Wes had previously sent– Cole and Brett. Cole had Nix engaged in a heated fight and Brett, seeing me prone on the ground, rushed me. I slowed my breathing, pushing the pain to the back of my mind, and zeroed in on his footsteps. I counted each footfall to time my kick just right. "One, two, three..." I vaulted upwards, heel connecting solidly with the side of his face, sending him careening into the wall. Gritting my teeth to fight off a wave of nausea, I stood, and while Brett was still dazed, started raining down a flurry of punches and well aimed jabs.
"You...almost...killed...one...of...my...friends..." I hissed out, anger flaring up. I growled when he managed to break free of my attack and shove me backwards. I expected to meet to other side of the alleyway, and was already planning my next move, when a body stopped me from crashing into the bricks. Before I could even think to react, a muscled arm had coiled itself around my neck, squeezing and making it extremely difficult to breathe.
"You know that 'almost', doesn't really count, Azalea," Wes murmured, using his other arm to secure both of mine against his chest. I flailed my legs, trying to find purchase or make contact, but all in vain. There was only one person who had bested me in training and he now had me in a sleeper hold.
"Tried to...kill me..." I wheezed out, beyond pissed, feeling my vision start to go fuzzy as my healing ribs started to re-break under the force of his grip.
"No, no, I tried to slow you down, and looked how well it worked," he said, tone light and mocking as he corrected me. He then started dragging toward the opposite end of the alleyway, and I tried to turn my head to see if Nix was alright. I could still hear the scuffle going strong, but it was starting to fade– whether from my lack of air or not, I couldn't rightly tell. I began struggle in earnest as I spotted a van outside my peripheral. "How many people has he recruited?" I thought to myself. Wes's arm tightened around my throat, completely cutting off my air supply.
"This would be so much easier if you'd just pass out," Wes snapped, as he continued his procession toward the van. I bared my teeth in a snarl, not having any air to actually carry through with the sound. My lungs burned and dark spots started to blot out my surroundings. "Z! Let her go, Wes!" I heard Nix scream, but I didn't hear her move any closer. I was still kicking out blindly, my movements turning desperate.
"Keep her busy and off our trail!" I heard Wes order, quickly followed by the rusty hinges of the van's back doors swinging open. "You always were so stubborn," Wes sighed into my ear, coming to a halt. "I'm sorry about this, Z." Before my mind could produce even the slightest feeling of confusion, his arm disappeared. I opened my mouth to gasp in a lungful of air and curse him out, but before my lungs could even expand, Wes grasped the back of my head, tangling his fingers into my hair. He then proceeded to slam my head against the wall. Once. Twice.
I crumpled to the ground, the world around me quickly fading. I was vaguely aware of being hoisted up, my limbs splayed around me like a rag doll as I was laid onto a cool, metal surface. The van. Vibrations from the engine shot straight into my spine, causing me to hack up what felt like both my lungs and maybe my spleen. A calloused hand rested itself gently across my forehead, peeling off a few strands of hair that the blood had caked on. "I'm sorry, Azalea. Truly, I am." Then the world went dark.